You Might Think
by CrazieDasie
Summary: James uses Lily's belief that Remus and Sirius are in a romantic relationship to get her to go out with him whether it's true or not. SBRL...? Read to find out! Eventual JPLE
1. The Note

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hello! Ok, so this story is mainly about the developing romantic relationship between James Potter and Lily Evans, resulting in the obvious. Whether Remus and Sirius end up together...will not be revealed, yet. It's a will they or won't they fic! This idea popped into my head after nights of searching for Sirius fanfiction and finding only Sirius/Remus fanfiction. If you're _dying_ to know if this will be slash or not, click on my name and then see my other fics (especially Love Bites) to see how I tend to like my Remus. However, you will have to read to see what will truly happen between the pups in this story. Read on, if you desire!

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Remus Lupin sat at his desk, his back stiff and his hands folded neatly against his chest. _Advanced Charms Volume II_ was propped up in front of him, and everything from his eyebrows down was shielded from the rest of the world.

That's how he liked it.

No one staring at the scars spread deeply across his face. No one trying to probe him for answers to their homework. No notes being lobbed at his head by his friend Peter Pettigrew, who lacked even the slightest notion of subtlety when it came to the art of note passing.

Sitting at his desk during the sixth year Gryffindor's study period, Remus smiled to himself. Another plus of being practically swallowed by an oversized piece of literature; he could smile about nothing and not have to explain to the commas and semicolons staring at him why.

Remus just felt happy. Despite the fact that he was a quiet, passive sixteen year old, who was hiding a monthly disease that would stay with him forever; Remus was happy.

He had friends. Good friends. He had a home away from his real home where he felt comfortable at. He was accepted in a world that normally shunned his kind.

Once a month, he was a werewolf, a feared monster. The 352 other days of the year, he was Remus Lupin, he was normal, and he was happy.

Normal. Everyone, besides his closest friends, considered him normal.

Remus smiled again as he turned the page of his book; filling the silent room with the sound of paper scraping across wood.

Lost in the brand new words in front of him, Remus didn't hear Professor McGonagall announce the end of the study period or the burst of students slamming books shut and releasing the suppressed laughter they had held in over the entire hour.

It wasn't until he felt a thin, soft hand swiftly moving back and forth on his head, tangling its fingers in his shaggy, golden brown hair, that Remus noticed the class was over. Remus jerked his head to the side and looked up.

Sirius Black's hand hovered over Remus; a mischievous smile spread across his face, even spilling into his misty grey eyes. "Class is over, Moony. Time for dinner. Yum, yum. Come and get it!" Sirius laughed, his dark hair whipping into his face, as he took step in the line of Gryffindors leaving the room.

Remus gently closed his book, running his fingers seductively down its spine, before he placed it into his bag.

"Did you see, Moony? Were you watching?" James Potter, the third and last of Remus's very best mates, screamed, jumping up and down, practically knocking Remus's desk over.

"No, I wasn't, Prongs. What happened?" Remus used his foot to straighten his now crooked desk.

"Lily!" James shouted. He quickly clasped his hand over his mouth, head flying around the room. James sprinted to catch up with Remus, who had walked away laughing. "So, Moony," James continued, as the two began walking towards the Great Hall. "You mean to tell me that you were actually studying during study break?" Remus opened his mouth. A squeak escaped before James trudged ahead. "Don't answer that, of course you were."

Remus turned red slightly, but laughed it off. His friends knew him too well. Remus played by the rules. Remus studied during a period dedicated to it. "What did I miss?" he asked James, who's brown eyes were begging to be questioned.

"Evans was passing notes…to me! Me! The boy she hates!" James could barely contain his glee, and he forgot all about keeping his voice down. He started walking backwards facing Remus, skillfully not bumping into anyone. "We were passing notes back and forth for the entire class."

"That's great, Prongs. What did she say in the notes?"

"I don't remember," James said, shrugging. Remus could see, behind the glare of James's glasses, his friend's eyes once again carried that strange faraway-drowning in love look that James often got when Lily came into his mind; a look Remus was glad to admit that he has yet to feel blazing in his own eyes. He was logic. Seeing the world in a haze of foggy hormones was not something Remus thought to be healthy.

James practically twirled as he took back his place next to Remus. "Evans passed notes to me," he whispered, more to himself, in complete awe of the situation. James, as level headed as he was, lost all sanity when Lily Evans did anything; especially if that anything had something to with her being civil to him.

Remus laughed, and stuck his hands into the pockets of his robes. He immediately realized that the usual prick he felt from the feathers of his favorite quill didn't happen. He stuck his hands deeper into his pockets. The quill wasn't there. Remus started to frantically stick his hands in and out of the many pockets in his robes.

Swinging his backpack around, so that it was now strapped across his stomach, Remus ripped the zipper back, and shifted through the books.

"James," Remus said, stopping in place and closing his bag up. James halted and spun around, his eyes still glazed over. "I think I left my quill in the classroom. I'll meet you later in the Hall."

"Alright, mate," James said, with a nod. Remus walked briskly back to the Transfiguration room.

Remus's perfect eyes immediately locked on the tip of his quill, sticking out from underneath the desk he was sitting at. Bending down to pick it up, Remus caught eye of something else lying on the floor.

It was a piece of parchment, folded in half multiple times. Remus barely made out the name 'James' written in perfect cursive across the top.

Remus crawled under his desk, and stretched his arm out. The tips of his fingers grabbed a corner of the parchment, and he slid it over to himself. Remus stood up, tucking his quill safely back into his pocket, and slung his backpack over his shoulder.

Up close, there was no denying that the printing on the front of the note was unmistakably scrawled by Lily Evans. Remus snuggled the thick parchment into the safest pocket of the inside of his robes. Remus thought that James would probably like to keep the note; so he could one: obsess over it, and two: have a reminder that the great Evans paid attention to him once. Making sure everything was in order, Remus made his way back to the Great Hall.

Remus couldn't help but feel curious about what Lily could have possibly said to James. But, he wouldn't look. It wasn't his place to intrude on the messages forever frozen in ink. Knowing James, though, he would probably call an ultra important Marauders meeting later that night, where he will dramatically, make that _over_dramatically, read every word written on that parchment. Remus could wait.

The Great Hall was filled with noisy students and scented waves of delicious foods. Remus's stomach gave a rough lurch, making him hurriedly scan the Gryffindors table for his friends. James, Peter and Sirius sat right in the middle of the table, stuffing their faces. James sat across from Sirius, who was seated next to an empty place, thoughtfully saved for Remus. Though when he noticed Peter, spitting food particles at the empty plate, while he attempted to talk with his mouth brimming with potatoes, Remus knew that the only thought put into the seating arrangements was, "I don't want to sit across from Wormtail."

"Hello," Remus said, taking his seat next to Sirius.

"Moony," Sirius squealed. He flung himself at Remus, who began laughing in hysterics. Sirius wrapped his arms around Remus's torso. "I thought McGonagall took you! To use you for some horrific transfiguration sacrifice, where she'd make you take off your jumper!" Sirius pulled away from Remus and narrowed his eyes at him. "You're too thin, Moony" he said, all joking vanished. He pushed the plate of potatoes closer to Remus. "You officially have my permission to gorge."

"Thanks," Remus muttered. He began neatly placing food onto his plate. He was never much of an eater, but he would do anything if it stopped his friends from worrying about him.

"Padfoot," James called. His eyes shifted to Remus and than back to Sirius. "Didn't you have something to ask Remus?"

"Oh, yeah," Sirius mumbled, putting his fork down. Sirius turned in his chair, so that he was facing Remus. Remus turned his confused look from James to Sirius, who had suddenly gotten very close. Sirius's Adam's apple moved up and down, as he swallowed, and his face adopted a look of nervous apprehension.

"What is it, Sirius," Remus said, with concern.

"Remus," Sirius started. "Will you…cut my steak for me? Prongs won't let me have a knife."

"For good reason," Peter spoke up. "Last week you tried to fling it at Snape."

"Snivellus's nose makes a wonderful target," Sirius said, casting a dreamy look over his shoulder towards the Slytherin table.

Remus sighed and laughed at the same time. "Push your plate over here," he reluctantly said. Sirius squealed, and, momentarily, swapped his and Remus's plates. "Why do _I_ have to do this anyway?" Remus grumbled, picking up his own knife.

"Because, you're the only one who _would_ do it, Moony," James said, openly laughing at Remus. "Or should I say _mother_ Moony," he added, elbowing Peter, who looked like he was torn between laughing at Remus and shooting Remus a sympathetic look.

"Moony just loves me more than you lot," Sirius exclaimed, sticking his tongue out at his friends.

"Moony just doesn't want to feel the wrath of Padfoot, if he didn't comply with his demands," Remus commented, as he carefully sliced Sirius's steak into equal bites. Remus handed the plate back to Sirius, who winked at him and returned Remus's plate to him with a smile. Remus couldn't help but smile back.

"_Ahem_."

Springing out of their moment, Sirius and Remus, joined by Peter and James, turned towards the intruder. Who happened to be a nervous looking Lily Evans.

James's hand flew to his hair, his fingers vigorously pulling at the black locks. His cheeks went up in unflattering flames. Peter tried to mentally tell him to not to play with his hair, because it looked ridiculous. Remus placed his utensils neatly next to his plate, looking up at Lily with expectant eyes. Sirius stuffed his enormous mouth with an even more enormous piece of cow.

"Lily?" Remus spoke up; when it became apparent that Lily lost her tongue.

"Oh," Lily said, life springing back to her. She finally allowed her eyes to move from their hold on Remus and Sirius. She glanced at James, a light sparking deep in her eyes. "I, I, _ahem_. I just wanted to tell you two that, that I'm very proud of you. And, that, that I think that you're setting a great example for everyone and that…well, I won't tell anyone. Your secret's safe with me."

Remus coughed; when it became apparent that Lily lost her mind.

"And," Lily continued, completely ignoring the various stares she was receiving from the boys in front of her. "And I don't think you're any different because of…of what you are. I'm just-" Lily waved her hand between Sirius and Remus.

Sirius, who seemed quite amused by the whole thing, slapped his arm around Remus's neck. "We're very blessed," he said, shrugging at Peter.

Lily beamed at him, and then turned her blinding smile at Remus, who had a look on his face like he was about to either pass out or burst into tears. Lily looked down at James, who had never taken his eyes off of the red head since she appeared. "I'll talk to you later, James. In the common room." Lily's voice was determined and definite, though a small pinkish hue colored her cheeks.

"Guk," James managed, nodding. "I mean, of course. See you there." James spun back around in his chair to face his friends. "Did you see that?" he practically shrieked. "She really fancies me, I think. I hope! What do you think Pads? Moo-ny…? What's the matter?" James peered over at Remus, who sat diagonal from him. Remus shrugged his shoulders roughly, propelling Sirius's arm off of him.

"Sirius," he said, turning to look him dead on.

"She has to know," Peter took over, the only other one who was actually listening to what Lily was saying. "She must know…about Remus."

"Does she Sirius?" Remus asked his voice low and wobbly. "Did you-"

"Moony," Sirius said, placing his hand firmly onto Remus's shoulder. "I didn't say a word to her honest. I swear on…on…the Marauder's Map."

"She is smart," Peter squeaked, breaking the reverie between Sirius and Remus. "She probably just figured it out. Or, maybe she wasn't talking about…_that_…?"

Remus nodded, but narrowed his eyes at Sirius one last time.

"I thought you forgave me, Moony?" Sirius whined, referring to the incident four months ago, when he tricked Snape into seeing Remus at his very worst, and causing the Slytherin to now become aware of the werewolf everyone was hiding.

"Forgave, but not forgot," Remus said. He smiled at Sirius though, to reassure him that he didn't really care about that anymore.

"What was Lily saying, anyways?" James asked.

"Too busy staring at her…_ahem_," Sirius puffed his robes out at his chest, and wagged his eyebrows at James.

"If that motion is sign language for hair? Then, yes."

Sirius rolled his eyes at Remus. "_Chest_ hair," he whispered to the chuckling boy next to him.

"Lily was going on about how she knew about _Remus_," Peter spoke up, smiling slightly as James gave him his full attention. "She said that she accepts him."

James immediately glared at Sirius.

"What are you new?" Sirius asked, in a bored voice. "We've just been through this." He pointed his finger at himself and Remus. Remus didn't look up. He started swirling his fork around his food, prodding the larger pieces with no intention of ever eating any of it. "Oh, Remus," Sirius cooed, nudging his friend in the shoulder. "Don't dread on it, mate. Evans is a bloody genius busy body who probably keeps tabs on where everyone within five feet of her goes at all moments of the year. Compare that with the lunar chart she most likely has tattooed on her arm, or thigh for those who wish to imagine that-" Sirius shot a mischievous glance at James, who appeared less than amused. "And…there you go."

"Sirius," James said, sitting up straight in his chair. Trying his hardest to appear rough and menacing to a group of boys who have seen him in a huddled, drunk mess unable to do more than hiccup and laugh. "I don't think it's wise to speak poorly about Lily in-"

"She totally has the hots for you, Prongsy."

"-front of me…really? You think so? I mean, why wouldn't she?"

"Well, maybe because you're arrogant, and a show off. And sometimes you can really be a-"

"That's enough, Wormtail." James leaned his elbows on the table, resting his chin on top of his knuckles. "Why she had to wait till _the_ _last week of school_ to speak to me is beyond comprehension."

"Think of it this way, Prongs," Remus said, finally forgetting about Lily. So what if one more person knew about his transformations; and it wouldn't be like Lily to go blabbing to everyone about it, anyways. No need to worry about it. "You're lucky because now you have the whole summer to write back and forth to her."

"And we're lucky because we'll have the whole summer to _not_ have to hear about it," Sirius added, smirking.

"You live with me, Padfoot."

"Bugger."

"Tough luck, Sirius," Remus laughed, as he stood up. Dinner was ending, and all along the table, students were beginning to leave the Great Hall. Sirius followed Remus, James and Peter, scooping up his books with one arm.

"Maybe I'll come live with you then, Moony," Sirius said, once the four boys were out of the noisy room. "We can frolic nude through the woods!" Sirius began skipping backwards, knocking over a couple first years as he went. Normally people knew to move when they saw Sirius coming. It wasn't that he was clumsy. Nobody can skip backwards successfully in army boots.

"I don't frolic," Remus said, nodding apologetically to the first years, his prefect gene clicking in.

Sirius shifted and fitted back in line behind James, and in front of Remus. "Then we'll walk nude through the woods."

"Much better," Remus deadpanned.

James spun around and shot his two friends a disgusted look. "Sirius, you told me the only kind of nude is frolicking nude. And you can't leave me! Think of the children!"

Sirius laughed and clapped James on the back. Silently telling him that he wasn't going anywhere else this summer; James's mom is too good of a cook to leave that situation.

"Merlin's beard," Peter shouted, to open the portrait into Gryffindor tower. "Well," he said, turning around to face his friends. "I'm off to bed."

"It's only six," Sirius pointed out; offended that anyone would waist a perfectly good night by going to sleep. Peter shrugged, yawned and marched off towards the sixth year's boy's dorm room.

"Quidditch, Pads?" James suggested, dropping his books down on a table. The house elves would return them to his room later, a fact he and Sirius more than often abused.

"Certainly," Sirius nodded, putting his things on top of James's. "Coming Moony?"

"No," Remus answered. "I think I'll go read for a little bit."

"You feeling all right?" James asked, making a show of examining Remus's face.

"Yes," Remus said, swatting James away. "Just tired."

Sirius nodded. "Come on Prongs. Let's leave the boy to his literature." James laughed and hit Remus softly on the side of his head as he passed. Sirius stood still, starring at Remus.

"Go, Padfoot," Remus said, laughing at his friend's face.

"Don't let Evans get to you," Sirius whispered. He gently knocked his shoulder into Remus's and then sprinted off after James.

Remus shook his head in amusement and climbed the stairs to his room. Walking into his dorm, he stopped as he saw a half dressed Peter hanging off the side of his bed. "Lose something, Peter?"

Peter shot up, looking red. "I can't find my wand! I just put it there for a moment," he shouted, pointing to the foot of his bed. "Where could it have gone too?"

Remus made his way over to his own bed, quickly wiping the annoyed look off his face. "I'll help you look," Remus said. The room was stuffy, and he needed to lose a layer, fast. He quickly took off his school robes; foregoing the clasp, and just pulling it over his head. The force from the robe flipping off his body and smacking onto his mattress was enough to dislodge James's and Lily's forgotten note from his front pocket. Remus picked it up. His immediate plan was to place it on James's bed for him to find when he returned. Of course Remus, to spare James's ego, would make sure to mention that it was the note from earlier and not a new one. That was Remus's plan. However, the parchment had opened up when it fell, and a certain name written in the note caught his attention.

His name.

"Found it," Peter sang out, springing from behind his bed, his rediscovered wand clasped tightly in his fist. "It got tangled in my blanket."

"Uh," Remus managed, as he sank down onto his bed. His fingers were twitching, shaking. His eyes locked themselves on his name, every other word around it blurring into gibberish. That was mainly because he felt wrong. He felt horrible for even opening the note. His stomach muscles twisted, but for a whole different reason. He began coming up with reasons for why Lily and James would need to pass notes about him. Maybe they decided to have children and name their fist born son after him. Maybe he was drooling while he was reading and Lily felt the need to make fun of that. Maybe they knew someone else named Remus, and this Remus was being entirely too panicky about the whole thing. But then Remus thought about what Lily said at dinner. And not knowing what they wrote about him got that much more unbearable.

"Well, I'm turning in," Peter yawned, reminding Remus that the world didn't stop.

"Peter?" Remus ventured. He needed someone to assure him that what he was about to do was not against all the rules of friendship and maraudership.

"Yes?"

"If, um, if you found something…something one friend wrote to…well, another one of their…one of your acquaintances, and it was a private note between the two…and you found it, would you, uh, would you read it?" Remus swallowed hard, pushing the parchment underneath his pillow.

"Yes."

"What?" Remus choked out.

"Yes," Peter repeated. "I would read it."

"Oh." Remus paused. He ran his fingers through his hair. The last thing he expected was blatant honesty. "Thanks," he said, for some reason.

"No problem. Night." Peter smiled and closed the drapes around his bed.

Remus pushed himself closer to the middle of his bed, and pulled his drapes closed around him. He just sat there for a moment. Thinking about all the things James would do to him if he found him reading his note from Lily. None of the possible outcomes resulted in him breathing. Then a little voice rose in his brain, mentally slapping him. There was no way, no possibility, that James would last a minute with this note and not have Sirius and Remus read it. Help him dissect every word. It's happened before. James is all emotions. James might even frame the stupid note and hang it on the wall. So, it wouldn't be that bad if Remus read it, and _then_ placed it on James's bed. So what if he had to fake surprise and interest when James gathered the Marauders around for story time. He could do it. Lying, unfortunately, was something Remus reluctantly had perfected.

Quickly, Remus pulled the note from under his pillow and opened it, so that it was spread out as a full sheet in front of him. Maybe he would just read a little bit. His eyes fell on the biggest chunk of words. It was Lily's handwriting.

_Study periods are not boring, Potter. Not if you do more than stare into space. But, I digress. I actually wanted to tell you something. I've come to realize that you're not as horrifying as I previously assumed. Under that smug, egotistical demeanor you insist on applying, is actually a nice, thoughtful guy that I wish would come out more. I mean I've always thought you were…you're the one I watch during the Quidditch matches. And, I don't understand why you make such an arse out of yourself, or why you hang around with Black. But, I suppose he isn't that bad. I mean if someone as level headed as Remus is with him, you know? They, in fact, are what made me change my mind about you. The fact that you're still friends with them, that you didn't shun them, shows me that understanding, loyal man you're capable of being. Remus and Sirius, your best friends, are in love with each other, and where I thought you would flee, you did the opposite. And…well, I'm babbling. But, if you ever want to talk…I'd always listen._

The parchment fell out of Remus's fingers. He became incapable of blinking. His eyes were stuck open. Until he passed out.


	2. Read It Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hello! Soooo sorry that it took a long time to update! I'm not going to have an update day for this story like my past ones. I'll probably post a chapter every two weeks, at the latest. Anyways, thank you, thank you, thank you to **Marauders Chick**,** meenyrocks**, **zippyfox**, **M. Mabeuf**, **PeshewaCoralie**, **MoOnbeam**, **Hikaze Chimizu**, **The Mock Turtle**, **Unforgettable**, **Vertically Challanged Poncho**, **Resisting Arrest**, **Kathi **and **ElizabethChrysta**l for the AWESOME reveiws! Also, thanks to those who just read! Love for everyone, lol!

Ok, this chapter is somewhat like a filler. The crazy, funny parts will be coming next. I promise! So, bear with me, and Enjoy:D

* * *

Everything was blurred and liquid. Objects swayed; their colors and edges colliding with their neighbors. Everything seemed ethereal and dream like. Oh and how Remus hoped that this was all a dream.

He looked down at the crinkled parchment in his fist.

_Damn._

Judging by the slight bit of sun light that managed to strike him directly in the pupil, and the slowly dying snores coming from Peter's bed, Remus suspected that morning was here. It was the last day of the school year, which gave Remus the sliver of hope that over the summer break Lily would completely forget all about her strange idea that Remus and Sirius were in love. It was absurd, really. Sirius flirted with everything moving, even if it was inanimate but happened to be in a wind gust. What made Lily think that Sirius's behavior towards Remus had more to it?

Remus sat up and rubbed his hands over his sleep printed face. The edges of James's and Lily's note, still curled into his palm, threatened to add more unwanted scratches to his skin.

He lay back down on his mattress, and held the note up into the line of sunlight. The ink sparkled through the thin paper. With a quick bolt, Remus sat himself up, propped his pillows against his headboard, and settled his back down on them. He completely unfolded the parchment, smoothing out every crease, every rip.

It was time to read this note the Remus Lupin way: with rationality. Not with panic at seeing his name, not with the excited surge of naughty snooping, not even with curiosity, but with detailed rational examining. Logic was Remus's favorite ally, and he had to be hidden somewhere in this mind boggling bizarre note.

He decided to start from the beginning. The first sentence of the note surprised him almost more than what he had read the night before. Lily started the note. Lily passed this note to James, and not the other way around. **_Hello, Potter_** was written in Lily's bold script. Remus smiled. James had been chasing after Lily Evans since the beginning of time, practically. This was defiantly a monumental achievement in the life of James Potter. Remus was selflessly delighted for his friend.

And then he read the rest of the note.

The first couple of lines were normal formalities, and somewhat boring, if anything else. About half way down he came across the part he read before; Lily's inconceivable notion that he was linked romantically to Sirius. Remus allowed himself to let out an annoyed sigh-slash-grumble before he trudged on. What Remus read next, James's response to Lily, was worthy of much more than a grumbly sigh. A thousand grumbly sighs wouldn't even begin to represent a sliver of a slice of the shock that was rippling though Remus's baby blues.

_Well, what makes them happy makes me happy. I'll always accept them, and be their best friend, no matter how they choose to live their lives together. _

"What?" Remus screamed in an almost audible whisper. Was James crazy? He must have been confused. He had to have been. Together? How they choose to live their lives, together? That one word could only imply one thing to its reader: That Sirius and he were _together_ together. Together enough that one could say that they were living their lives together. Not apart. Joined, as one, side by side, living life.

Together?

Yes. That's what Remus had to do at the moment; pull it together. Remus closed his eyes. Inhale, hold, exhale. Inhale, hold, exhale. Once he felt calm enough to go on, he did.

**_Once again you've managed to surprise me, James! Here I've been thinking that you're nothing but an arrogant git, where actually you are human. You feel. It's nice to see the James Potter that you keep hidden. I like him. A lot. So, how long have they been together?_**

_Oh, like, since the beginning of this year, or something. But, let's talk about what you like about me some more. Now don't make that pouty face, Evans! I was just joking._

_**Haha, Potter! But, they've only been together for a year? I would have thought it was much longer than that. Maybe they kept it quiet. A secret romance! Sounds like something Remus would be ok with…but, I'm sure that self-centered, attention seeking Sirius Black had a problem with it.**_

_I can think of two other people who should follow their example. Sorry, couldn't help myself. But, yeah, Sirius and Remus have always been close, come to think of it._

_**I think they're cute.**_

_Haha, do you?_

_**Yeah! Remus and Sirius, oddly enough, seem rather perfect for each other. It's sweet.**_

_They're the best mates I've ever had, but I think it's about time we talk about something else._

_**Oh, James! I think you're sweet, too. Happy?**_

Remus wanted to throw up here for two reasons. One: this note became so sugary and enamorus, he was sure that even Cupid would have burned it on sight. And two: Lily now is not only positive that he and Sirius are a couple, but she also thinks they're cute, and perfect, and sweet, and the sticky, hot liquid began to once again propel up his throat.

Fortunately, for James, Remus was able to determine that by James's unusually wobbly penmanship, and the occasional crossed out word, that James really had no clue what he was writing. Most likely he was blinded by love, and would say anything if it meant that Lily would continue to pass him notes. Did Remus blame James for all of this? No. Remus Lupin doesn't blame people. Remus Lupin keeps everything locked up inside him. Remus Lupin will instead tear a new, deep cut into his confused enraged werewolf body come next full moon. And dedicate it to James Potter.

"Moony! Get up!" James's chipper morning voice made Remus jump. He suddenly became aware that the tiny stream of sunlight that slipped through his bed drapes earlier had now become a pure onslaught of brightness. Remus was really in no mood to get up.

"Padfoot! Wormtail!" James continued. "Up, all of you! It is our last breakfast as sixth years. We must celebrate with orange juice and toast."

"And jelly?" Peter asked, his voice still held on to its early morning scratchy drawl.

"It wouldn't be a celebration without it, my dear rat."

Remus folded the note up and stuck it into the pocket of his pants. He curled up into his bed and closed his eyes. He wasn't ready to face the world. What if everyone thought the same thing Lily did? He didn't want to think about it. His head hurt.

"Moony?" Remus's eyes sprang open. "Moony? Are you awake?" Peter's small shadow hovered outside the drapes around Remus's bed. Yawning, Remus checked his watch, and realized that he must have fallen back to sleep since James did his imitation of an alarm clock. Remus was about to answer Peter when ten fingers popped threw his drapes, each one curling around the opening.

"Just yank his curtains apart, Pete," Sirius said. "Or are you afraid he might be starkers?" Remus stupidly checked to make sure that he was indeed fully clothed. His curtains were thrown apart, and as Sirius's eyes fell on him, he felt like he wasn't.

"Who wears his robes to bed?"

"Tough luck, Padfoot," James said, stepping in between Sirius and Peter.

"Well," Sirius said, cocking an eyebrow at Remus. He dramatically dragged his tongue over his upper lip. "I'll just have to do something about this then." Sirius jumped onto Remus's bed and leaped at his chest. Remus, despite all the still sane bones in his body, screamed like a ten year old girly girl who just saw that a monster did in fact dwell in her closet.

Sirius stopped his attack on Remus's shirt buttons, and sat back on his legs. "Settle, mate! I was just playing with you."

"Breakfast," James whined loudly, falling in between Sirius and Remus on the bed and holding his stomach.

"All _right_!" Sirius pushed James off the bed. "Seeing as Moony's fully dressed for Merlin knows what secret reason, I think we can go." Sirius, without any real thought or motive on his part, grabbed Remus's hand, pulling him off the bed with him.

Remus of course read an encyclopedia of things into that one small gesture.

Maybe things like that was why Lily thought he and Sirius were together? The four boys left the room and made their way to the Great hall. Peter walked ahead, constantly making sure that he stood next to James at all times. Sirius walked behind James, to make sure he didn't take any Lily influenced detours was what he cited his reason as. And Remus walked next to Sirius, not ever caring, until today, that Sirius practically walked on top of him. He was so close their hands touched. Sirius walked that close to Remus because Sirius had a rough, almost unloved childhood and he liked being close to people that actually cared for him, and, more importantly, Sirius was fond of his sarcastic comments, and was even more fond of the way that Remus listened to them, laughed and then didn't try to top them.

But, once again, Remus couldn't help but think that it was walking a little to close to each other that made Lily believe they were together.

Then something hit Remus. He looked next to him, and watched Sirius recoil with laughter at an unheard comment from James. Who cares really if Lily thought he and Sirius were an item? She was just one girl. Lily wasn't the type to spread gossip, or even listen to gossip. And she did say yesterday morning that their secret was safe with her. If it wasn't for the de-friending ceremony that would occur if James found out that Remus had _and_ read his note, then Remus would talk to Lily, explain to her that she is very much mistaken. Instead, Remus decided that he was just going to live with it. Let Lily believe what she wanted to.

"Moony? You almost walked into that wall! You alright?" Remus shook himself out of his rambling trance, to find that he was being given the look of bewilderment from James, and being held tightly around the waist by Sirius.

"Why is Sirius hugging me?" Remus asked, staring down at Sirius's hands, which were locked together over his belly.

"Because I love you," Sirius whispered seductively, giving Remus a squeeze. Remus's eyes caught on to something bright red, billowing in an unfelt gust of drafty wind. His eyes quickly traveled down, only to be met with shiny green orbs of understanding and knowing. Lily mouthed a quick "awe" to herself, prompting Remus to tear away from Sirius's grasp.

"Let's just, ah, let's just go eat," he mumbled, trying to avoid his three friends's laughing faces; mainly because he didn't want them to see the redness his pale cheeks had just required.

He tried to put some distance between himself and Sirius, which turned out to be the hardest thing in the universe to accomplish. Sirius was laughing, but his eyes shined with worry. He decided to stick close to Remus.

As they walked into the Great Hall, Remus felt naked. Everyone's eyes were on him; everyone was curiously pointing at him in disgust or making sweet pleased faces. Snape suddenly propelled out of his seat, and stood on top of the Slytherin table. He produced a large piece of cardboard, and held it up. Remus squinted his eyes, and read the sign. "Welcome Gryffindor Poofters!" The whole Slytherin table erupted in evil laughter. Dumbledore started banging his fork against his glass. Remus froze. The blood drained from his entire body. What could this possibly be about? And why wasn't he yelling at Snape, who was now holding up another sign that had a drawing of Sirius and Remus stick figures snuggling and kissing in repeat jerky motions. "Attention students!" Dumbledore shouted. "Thanks to the brilliant Lily Evans, and her keen ability to drag things out of her stalker-_er_-friend Mr. Potter, it is my pleasure to introduce Hogwarts newest couple: Sirius Black and-"

"Remus?"

"_Arh!"_ Sirius's voice made Remus scream and whip around.

"You walked past our seats, mate," Sirius laughed. Remus, his mouth still hanging open, looked back around the large hall. No one was even mistakenly glancing at him, let alone staring and pointing. Snape was in his seat, brooding over his porridge. And Dumbledore was chatting animatedly to McGonagall, there didn't seem to be any utensils within a mile radius of him. "What's the matter with you today?" Sirius continued, pulling Remus down into his seat.

"You missed my whole plan for our one last hurrah as sixth years. A little see you next time Slytherins. It's brilliant."

"It's brilliant," Peter repeated James, beaming.

"Sorry," Remus said, for lack of better excuse. He was quite relieved that he was just mental and not actually being falsely ousted by his headmaster. He needed to eat, that's what he needed. His blood sugar levels must be slipping. Remus pilled his plate high with food, much to his friends's shock. Waffles, bacon, toast, porridge; anything and everything he could grab. He was going to overload his restless mind, (he must remember to thank Lily for his mental instability later), with food.

"This is what we're going to do, Moony," James picked up. He leaned closer to the middle of the table. Peter leaned in too, eager to hear the retelling. Sirius tried to sneakily steal a piece of bacon from the second year next to him; Remus managed to take it all.

"Hi." Lily's cheery voice halted any speeches from the messy haired boy, and he whipped around to greet his lady.

"Hi, Ev…Lily. What do I owe this pleasure?"

Lily's cheeks seemed to glow instantly. Her eyes traveled to Remus and stopped. Remus was chewing quietly, keeping eye contact with Lily, and trying hard no to make it look like he wanted to leap across the table and rip her to shreds. Lily's hand sprang to her chin. She pointed at it and pretended to wipe something, and then nodded, wide eyed at Remus. Remus stopped chewing and looked puzzled around the table. James, Peter and Sirius followed Lily's eyes and looked at Remus. They immediately started laughing.

"Moony!" Sirius exclaimed….with fondness. Remus was about to push him as far away as he could, when Sirius grabbed a hold of Remus head, and began to wipe Remus's chin with the tip of his napkin; Sirius's fingers burrowed into Remus's hair, and he smiled bright with amusement.

"Remus doesn't eat much," Peter said to Lily, lighting up when she actually laughed at him.

"Is it gone Sirius?" Remus asked, through clenched teeth.

"You have a giant chin, Moony." Sirius withdrew his napkin. "There we go. Porridge free, sexy as ever." Sirius sent Remus what only could be referred to as bed room eyes, from behind his dark mask of black hair.

Lily giggled. Remus was a mixture of emotions worthy of a complicated potion. Food; more food; no more thoughts, just grease and fat.

"James," Lily said, returning everyone's attention back to why she was standing there in the first place. "I, uh, I just wanted to give you my address. So, if you need someone besides Black to talk to…someone who might actually hold an intelligent conversation-"

"Hey! That was uncalled for!"

"-then you can owl me. I won't mind. I need distractions from my nosy sister." Lily extended a shaky hand to James, a small piece of parchment was held between two elegantly long fingers. James grabbed the parchment, gurgled, and attempted what he probably thought was a dashing smile. It looked like he had indigestion. Lily didn't seem to notice, and she returned to her seat with a silent nod.

"Well, _this_ is going to be a _fun_ summer." Sirius threw his napkin down over his food. Folding his arms across his chest, he sank down into his chair.

"Hey, you can go back to your parents, you know! No one told you to run away and denounce them."

"You did," Sirius shouted, pointing widely at James. "If I recall you even told me to pee on the carpet, but Moony advised against it."

"I'm still confused as to why that would have been important?" Peter asked.

"It doesn't matter," James sang, making kissy faces at Lily's address. "_This_ is going to be a _great_ summer!"

"Let me see that." Sirius ripped the piece of paper from James's mouth. "_In case you need a break from the love birds. _What the hell does that mean?"

"Maybe she means my parents?"

"That's creepy," Peter said, shuddering.

Remus closed his eyes in expectancy, but then snapped his head up and looked at James with wild confusion. "Wait! You really have no idea what she means?" James shook his head. "No clue at all?"

"No, Moony." James swatted his hand at Remus; sign language for drop it all ready. He pulled the note with Lily's address slowly out of Sirius's angry fist. "_But, who cares?_ I've got Evans's address. We should be celebrating!"

Sirius and Remus shared a look; both annoyed for two different reasons. Sirius slung his arm around Remus and dropped his head down onto his shoulder. "Expect me on your door step in three weeks. That's all I'll be able to stand of the Lily love festival." Remus laughed. He did feel bad for Sirius. "Unless I'm sent a miracle."

Remus looked over at Lily; she smiled at him and winked, before turning back to her friends. He didn't shrug Sirius off of him this time; what would be the use? Lily wouldn't notice, and if anything he would only succeed at making Sirius more upset at the world. Now with James becoming closer and closer to Lily, Sirius was going to be come more and more clingy to Remus.

This was going to be a long summer.


	3. Padfoot's Pad

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story**

A/N: Hello! LONG time no see! I'm not going to give this story an update schedule because I'll never be able to stick to it. I've been awfully busy and time seems to never be around anymore. I really want to update this every other week, but that might not happen. I have funny plans for this fic that I want toget out of my head and post.So, anyways **THANK YOU **to **EVERYONE** who reviewed and read...you're all so lovely and I can't thank you enough! Enjoy!

* * *

My most precious hater of 'loud rumbling teenage driven death machines', 

Moony! Alright? I've been given a miracle! In the form of an early inheritance from my uncle Alphard. Bless his newly banished from the Black family soul. He is welcome in the House of Padfoot forever. I just gave you a clue there, Moony! Did you pick it up? Huh? I know you did, you clever werewolf. I have a house! Well, an apartment; but close enough! And it's all mine. I have no furniture and I've all ready walked around nude thrice times. Prongs wasn't too pleased with that, but no one told him to look! It's all for you anyways, Moony! Can you see me winking lavishly? Give your cheeks a pinch for me. It's been a month since I've seen you. You have to come to my apartment. We're going to have a Marauder's High Tea….but with no tea and a lot more butterbeer. Peter's coming, for Merlin's sake. If you don't come I will be forced to do one of three things: 1. Get pissed and sob, 2. Get pissed and threaten Prongs. If he mentions that red headed nuisance one more fricken time…you won't be there to stop what happens, Moony! Pause on that, or, 3. Get pissed and come pick you up….on the deathtrap, normally referred to as The Black Bitch. Woof, woof. Can you hear my motorcycle? It's coming for you! Send me a reply as soon as you get this. Prongsie says hullo and I love you till death do us part and I better see your face here tomorrow or you won't have one!

-Sirius Orion "Padfoot" Black etc. etc. _Esquire_

_

* * *

_

When Remus got off the Knight Bus, he had one thought: Why am I here again?

Remus had taken the bus from his home set deep in the country side, (free roaming for the growing werewolf), all the way into the heart of London or where Sirius's new apartment was.

Sirius sent Remus an invitation a day until he agreed to come. It's not that Remus didn't want to come…actually it is that Remus didn't want to come. Remus was enjoying his Sirius free, _Lily_ free, summer. He had forgotten all about that whole "thing" during the month he's been away from school. That was until he got Sirius's first letter and it became ALL he could think of.

On the other side, the light side, Sirius was Remus's best friend; and he really missed him.

So that is why Remus is here, outside of Sirius's apartment, wondering if it's too late to turn around and go home.

* * *

Sirius hates his family. He would tell you that he hates the whole lot of them, but that would be lying. He loved his Uncle Alphard, (rest his soul). Ok, maybe he loved Uncle Alphard's money slightly more than the man himself, who was actually very bitter in real life, and out of touch with reality; which is probably why Sirius still got his inheritance. Uncle Alphard had no clue that Sirius was banished from the family.

First, Sirius used his inheritance to upgrade his motorbike. His first one could have been filed under the word 'missing' because that's what one of his wheels was. It's a flying motorbike! Did it really need two wheels? Landings for Sirius were always messy. Not anymore though. Now Sirius has a nice new shiny motorbike that he actually bought, not "borrowed".

Sirius gave James a new broomstick, bought James's mother a garnet necklace, and James's father a new watch since his old one got broken…somehow. James's parents were grateful, but when James told Sirius, (while laughing madly), that the greatest gift he could have given James's parents was Sirius moving out, Sirius took him seriously.

The next day, though James's mother put up a spectacular effort to stop him, Sirius moved out of the Potters' and into a loft in London above a bakery.

He's put on a little weight over the past month. Just a little; a fraction of a fraction of a pound. Sirius is still as tall and as muscularly lanky as ever.

Sirius' apartment is the picture perfect starter apartment for the average heir. One bedroom, but a large one. The sitting room was even larger, housing an odd collection of furntiure that Sirius picked out without Remus or James. They might have made better color choices.

Sirius pushes his silky black hair out of his stormy eyes, as he leans over his brand new lime green couch, smoothing out nonexistent creases. He thinks about all that he will do on this couch. Sleep, eat, sit, sleep some more, eat a lot more, snog a few lucky lasses. Oh the fun he will have…

Sirius sprang up into a standing position and leaned eagerly onto the window over the armrest of his couch. He thought he caught a quick glimpse of a familiar purple bus out side of his apartment, but there was no such bus there now. Instead something, some_one_, was standing like a statue on the sidewalk; gray strands in tawny hair catching the glint of the high sun.

"MOONY!" Sirius screamed, pulling his window open, and sticking the top half of his body out of it. "MOONY! STAY THERE! I'LL BE RIGHT DOWN!" Sirius slid out of the window and started towards the door. "Hey, Prongs," he called into the small kitchen that stemmed off of his living room.

James stuck his messy haired head into the living room. He had something powdery and dark all over his nose. "I heard," he said. Sirius beamed at him and exited the apartment with puppy like excitement.

* * *

James wasn't jealous. Nope, not him. Jealous? No. James Potter would never be jealous. He especially wouldn't be jealous of his best friend. His brother, his partner in crime, the boy he used to share a bedroom with for almost two years who has now moved out onto his own, into a cool loft, in a cool part of town and didn't even bother to ask if James wanted to move in with him because he was being nice and not upsetting James's parents anymore than he already did when the real reason was that its cooler to live on your own and do your own thing and sit in your very own living room being cool.

No; James wasn't jealous.

If anything, James was a little sad. Sirius and James have been inseparable since the fifth week of their first year. They don't discuss those first five weeks of school when they hated each other because they were both equally good at everything, and therefore neither one could be the showoff they so longed to be. The final battle was when James ordered Peter to choose which boy was better at throwing paper airplanes into the fireplace. It was the first time James or Sirius saw another boy run away scared, crying his beady eyes out; it bonded them for life.

But, now that was all over! Sirius moved out into his own apartment, and James was in a new serious relationship; it was mostly in his head, but it still deepened the hole, which only James saw, between him and his best friend.

James has been sending letters to Lily Evans all summer so far…and actually getting real responses. Not "Leave me alone, Potter" but "Talk to you soon, Potter". Lily wasn't comfortable with using his first name yet. James didn't care, though. Lily could call him Pooper and he wouldn't care because she's pretty, and smart, and nice, and sweet, and feisty, and funny, and…

* * *

"Um," Peter said, standing on his tip toes, peeking over James's broad shoulder. "I think that's enough water."

James quickly shut the faucet off, and laughed. He had been measuring water…with his eyes closed and an odd smirk on his face.

Peter and James were given one job by Mother Hen also known as Sirius: making the brownies. Peter didn't know why on Earth "Make Brownies" was on Sirius' list of "Today's Chores" but it was and Peter and James quickly nabbed it before they were forced to "Clean the Shower Drain"; Sirius had really long hair.

In all actuality, Peter would do anything Sirius told him to. He was just glad to be there, to be included. A lot of times, Peter felt left out. It was always James and Sirius, Sirius and Remus, Remus and Sirius, James and James's reflection.

Peter does a lot of sitting and watching. Over the years, Peter has gathered so much information about his friends. Peter's just spacey; really, really spacey. He comes off as being stupid, as Sirius has pointed out to him on many an occasion.

But, Peter knows more than any of them have even fathomed. Even now, Peter knows something that James doesn't. Besides how to make brownies, Peter knows what is in Lily's letters.

If Lily held James at wand point and told him to tell her every topic she touched on in her letters to him, James would be joining the headless hunt.

If Lily held Peter at wand point and told him to tell her every topic she touched on in her letters to James, in the process admitting that James breeched her security by spilling every personal thing she had written, Peter would scream "Why do you think Sirius and Remus are dating?" before he joined James in the big Shrieking Shack in the sky.

As punishment for moving out, James had refused to read any of Lily's letters to Sirius; not that Sirius was in tears over that. James read each one to Peter instead and Peter did something Sirius would never do: he actually listened. James was too busy squealing over the fact that Lily wrote "Love, Lily" or "I miss seeing you at school" or "Isn't is hot outside?" to notice that the end of each letter had something like "Is Sirius missing Remus?" or "Does Remus come to see Sirius a lot?" or "Really, how do you feel about Sirius and Remus dating?"

Peter wondered sometimes how James managed to pass any of his classes.

* * *

Remus was given a warning. Anyone within a fifty mile radius of where he was standing heard it. Yet, Remus still somehow didn't move when a black haired boy sprang at him, tackling him to the ground.

And is that gum he's sitting on?

"Moony! How are you?"

"Ulo, Adfud," Remus coughed out from under Sirius' forearm. Sirius laughed and sprang to his feet in only a way Sirius could. He reached down for Remus's hand and pulled him up. Remus couldn't help but laugh along with Sirius, even if he didn't really know what was funny. Sirius had that effect on Remus. One look and the two would be incompressible with giggles; sometimes there was a silent secret they were sharing, sometimes they were both thinking of different things, and sometimes they just laughed because they felt they should be. It was just one of the odd things that were a part of Remus's and Sirius' friendship.

Sirius leaned against his door, and bumped it open with his hip. As Remus walked in he couldn't help but smile at the strong smell of wet dog that hit him immediately. But there was another smell, almost stronger….it was making him want to drool.

"Moony!" James wailed, skipping in from the kitchen. He was wearing a frilly blue French Maid style apron. James squeezed Remus in a tight embrace, cracking his back and lifting him slightly off the ground.

"Nice apron, mate," Remus laughed. James scowled over Remus's shoulder at Sirius.

Again the smell of melted chocolate crawled up Remus's nose. "Brownies?" Remus mumbled, sniffing the air.

"You rang," Peter trilled, thumping out of the kitchen with a tray piled with the perfect brown squares. "Hey, Remus."

"Hey, Wormtail; you baked?"

"We both did," James commented, eyes narrowed with annoyance. "Sirius made us."

"I," Sirius began, sticking his nose in the air smugly. "Am the host of this house. And when the host has guests it is polite to serve those guests their favorite food. Go on Moony."

Remus's eyes lit up and he reached for the brownie balancing on the very top of the pile. "Hold it," James commanded, grabbing Remus's hand. "Padfoot, you made brownies for Moony, because Moony is your guest?" Sirius nodded. "Well…what about me and Wormtail?"

"What about you?"

"We're your guests too."

"Yeah."

"Well…"

"I'm not following."

James sighed. "Where's my favorite food?"

"Oh, Prongs," Sirius laughed. "Remember when you came this morning and I gave you those Bott's beans?"

James stared openly at Sirius. Sirius held his hands out and raised his eyebrows, looking at James like 'isn't it obvious?'

"So, Moony gets _homemade_ brownies….that _you_ didn't even make," James shouted. "While we get Bertie Bott's that you probably stole from me anyways?"

"Prongs," Remus finally spoke up. He had been staring from Peter, who was looking at Sirius with an odd distant look on his face, to Sirius and James, to the brownies, and he couldn't take it anymore. "I'm a werewolf….let me have my brownies."

James rolled his eyes, and grabbed a brownie stuffing it fully into his mouth.

* * *

After the brownies were eaten, the tour was given, the many jokes about the bedroom and "where the _real_ magic happens" were played out, three Butterbeers each were drunk, Sirius tried to make them play spin the bottle, and Sirius made out with his own shadow instead, James found himself delightfully giddy.

"It should be here any minute. You know an owl brings it?"

"What?" Peter shouted. "That's freaky."

Remus laughed despite himself and took another sip from his Butterbeer. He was still on his first, though no one really realized. Remus was sitting across from Peter and James, on a cushy armchair, with one leg curled under him and the other being sat against by the full weight of Sirius. After a moment of silence, James let out a high squeal and threw the window open.

A white and brown owl glided into the sitting room, hovering over the boys' heads for a second before it landed on Peter's knee. James tore the letter off the owl's leg, which was harder than it sounded given the fact that he was shaking with joy. The owl snatched Peter's offering of a brownie crumb before he flew out the window.

James sat up, clearing his throat. "Prior to tonight, I was boycotting reading Lily's letters to Sirius…but I feel that tonight, in honor of him snogging the wall…I will share this with everyone."

"I knew snogging Shadow Me would lead to bad news," Sirius grunted. He stood up and threw himself back down on the large armrest of the chair Remus was in. Remus was too happy to move over, so he just leaned slightly against Sirius' torso.

James cleared his throat again. "Dear James-" James paused, eyes wide.

"Wow, Prongs she used your first name. How exciting. Let's not take a year and drool over it, we don't have that kind of time."

"Padfoot, let him have his moment," Remus scowled. "Kick him or something Wormtail, I think he froze."

Peter shoved James with his foot.

"Sorry," James said. "Dear James, I'm sure Black's apartment is very nice, and doesn't smell like boy too much. I'll think about visiting, ok? Not promising though, so don't get your hopes up. I miss school a lot, too. Life around here is quite on the boring side; when I'm not scaring my sister…she thinks I can shoot lasers from my fingers. You have to meet her! You'll never believe we're related. Anyways, I have to make this letter short because my Mum needs me to come wash dishes. It would be really nice to come and see you. I probably will. It's so nice of you, James, to help Black get settled into his own place. Is Remus staying with him? If he isn't, then he's probably going to be over there often, huh? I hope someday I'm just as in love as those two. Talk to you soon, James. Love, Lily."

James sighed contently and sunk back against the couch. Sirius, though happy for his friend, hated lovey dovey stuff and was busing himself with braiding Remus's hair instead of listening. Peter was staring at Sirius and Remus as if there was a large hulking monster creeping up behind him. Remus was staring with an identical look at James and his letter. _Was James making this up_, he thought.

"James," Remus called. He extended a shaking hand to James. "Can I see that letter?"

"The brownies," Peter shouted. Everyone turned to look at him. "The brownies."

"What's your issue now?" Sirius shouted back. "Ow!" he screamed from his new place on the floor. "Moony! Why'd you push me?"

"James!" Remus grabbed, James's letter and held it behind his back. "James, tell me what Lily said in this letter?"

"_Love_, Lily."

"And?"

"Dear _James_,"

"And?"

"It would be really nice to come and see you. I probably will."

"And?"

"I'm just as in love..."

"Forget playing Memory, Moony," Sirius said. He sat back down in the armchair and patted his legs. "Come back here, I'm not done with you."

Sirius was talking about braiding Remus's hair. Peter wasn't a mind reader.

"She's right! She's right!" Peter shouted, pointing at Lily's letter, which James somehow got back into his hands. "The brownies!"

"What?" James shouted.

Peter uncharacteristically grabbed Lily's letter from James. "I didn't believe it either, but…"

"What are you talking about, Wormtail?" James asked, looking serious for the first time since Remus arrived. Remus just stood there, seeing where this was going.

Peter moved closer to James, so that his mouth was an inch from James's ear. "Remus and Sirius are in love with each other, Prongs," Peter screamed.

_And it went in the wrong direction_, Remus thought.

"They're…what?" James asked, over the ringing in his ear.

"They're in love with each other," Peter repeated.

"Now, listen. We are not-"

"Moony," Sirius called. He had been oddly quite the whole time. "Come here and put that sexy hair back in my fingers!"

"Wow," James said.

"See?" Peter said.

"Not helping," Remus mumbled, covering his face in his hands. _Accursed Butterbeer!_


	4. Dinner Plans

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story**

A/N: I updated! Lol! I'm going to throw myself a mini parade! Anyways, sorry times a million for the long wait. Things are starting to become less busy, so there should be plenty of time for me to write, write, write. I want to thank EVERYONE who reviewed! Or just read...either way, you all make me happy. A special thanks to: zippyfox, HealerAriel, SlashyKitty, M.Mabeuf, fennecfox, Elayna Fournier, Little-kei, Tanya J. Potter, Cilverblood, kathaania, Jessa L'Rynn, and Captain Oz

Enjoy the story!

* * *

It took the combined efforts of a slightly intoxicated Peter Pettigrew and a slightly over-aggravated Remus Lupin to explain to their dim witted companions that yes there is no more butterbeer; no Sirius can not braid Remus' hair; and yes Lily likes James only because he is tolerant of the nonexistent relationship between his two best mates.

"You're _not_ dating, right?"

"For the last time Wormtail," Remus hissed at Peter, who was sitting squashed next to him on the large bright green couch. Sirius was lounged on his armchair, and James took up a patterned pace around the area. "Whose side are you on?"

"There's only one solution! One!" James's voice was blazing. No one could be sure whose eyes in the room were wider, or when their eyes stopped blinking as James made his way to the window, dramatically pushed it open and swung his legs out.

"Hey! Don't do that," Peter shouted in his greatest high pitched voice, pulling at the back of James's shirt.

"Yeah," Sirius spoke up. "_I'm_ going to have to be the one to scrape your pancreas off the sidewalk and I'm not down with that." Sirius held his hand up in the air, examining his dirty fingernails with intense concentration.

"Look at him," James whined, as Peter helped him out of the window. "Look how effeminate he's acting."

"You know, if any one was the lady of the relationship…" Peter began.

"Please don't finish that," Remus said, pinching the bridge of his nose. It's the sad truth that Remus's quiet, bookish, polite nature would no doubt make him the Pretty Woman to Sirius's Macho Macho Man. Remus isn't very good at that whole big bad wolf thing.

"Moony," James coughed. "Explain this to me, one more time."

Remus sighed and shared a brief dark look with Sirius, who, unlike Remus, was lounged, relaxed and enjoying every second of this. "Prongs," Remus began. "You and Lily have been Owling for a month now?"

"Yes."

"And in every letter-"

"She mentions that you and Sirius are a couple. I under...stan…ok, I'll be honest, it might be that the butterbeer has unfogged my brain, but…"

"That's _backwards_, but continue," Remus said.

"I remember her writing about that. I remember…notdeyningit…"

"What was that?" Sirius asked, suddenly interested.

"Padfoot! It got Lily to keep talking to me!"

"But, why?" Peter asked, turning his attention to Remus. "Why does Lily care so much?"

"Why does she _think_ that?" James corrected.

Sirius barked out a giggle, if that's possible. "I usually can't keep my hands off the fur ball," he said, winking at Remus. Whether he was joking, teasing or being blindingly honest, the other three didn't know or want to deal with that at the moment.

"Lily thinks that Sirius and I are…and she sees that James is still our friend, and therefore, in her eyes, James is the epitome of compassion and acceptance."

"Oh," Peter nodded. "That would make sense."

"Yes," Remus agreed passionately. "Prongs went from being annoyingly proud and haughty to sweet and charming."

James stared at the two, his eyebrows knitted together. Sirius hiccupped loudly, and then pointed his finger wildly at James. "You're screwed, mate," he laughed. James turned his questioning stare to him. "Once Evans knows the truth. She'll be embarrassed and pissed…at _you_!"

"Know she won't!" Sirius sunk lower into his chair, holding his vibrating stomach. "Shit. Shit. Wormtail! Stop!"

"I thought you were hyperventilating!" Peter shouted. His hands were placed awkwardly on James's cheeks.

James pulled away. "New rule," he commanded. Remus got up and disappeared into the kitchen. "No one touch no one."

"Oh god," Remus moaned from the kitchen. He was on all fours in front of Sirius's pantry digging through boxes of biscuits and cereal for any substance that can be used for tea. "I leave the room and grammar and coherency follows."

"Are you whispering secrets to my food?" Sirius asked, joining Remus on the floor. "Because you should know that Cocoa Pops and I keep nothing from each other."

"I'm looking for tea," Remus said, placing all the items he took out back into their home, and wondering why wherever he goes, Sirius somehow ends up there too.

"Ask," Sirius responded. He stood up and reached into a top shelf pulling down a whole array of tea bags. "Don't got leaves I'm afraid."

"Leave the tea," James shouted from the other room. "I'm in distress here."

"Calm down! What the hells wrong with you?" Remus and Sirius heard Peter say.

"Sometimes I love him," Sirius said, fondly. "Like once every three months."

Remus's and Sirius's fingers brushed as they dug through the box of tea bags, searching for one that struck their fancy. Remus was in a Green mood, he thought; or maybe Honey. Sirius's finger does an odd loop around his own. _Yeah, Honey_, Remus thought. _It's sweeter._

"Moony?" James's baritone voice floated into the kitchen. "Something's happened."

Remus looked from the bags of tea in his hands to the wall were James was most definitely behind, with no hurry to go see what could possibly be happening now.

"Go on, Moony," Sirius said, taking the tea from Remus. "I got you," he added, shaking a tea bag in the air and nodding at it. Remus rolled his eyes and left the kitchen.

Sirius is only slightly drunk. He's not as bad as James; who, when drunk, becomes a hopeless basket case unable to form clear thoughts about anything. James has a slight problem with deciphering Lily when he's sober, just think of how hard those little brain wheels are working now? Sirius's brain wheels never stop. And under the slight haze of alcohol, they seem to be working faster.

Lily thinks that Remus and himself are a couple. Even with all those brain cells putting in unnecessary overtime, Sirius still doesn't know what _he_ thinks about that.

The truth is that Sirius has, from day one, always harbored a special feeling for the werewolf. Even before Sirius knew Remus was a werewolf he felt it. A pull. A desire to watch over him. Sirius doesn't feel anything like that for James or Peter, or, his own brother, (_before_ he joined that evil cult of pureblood fanatics). It might be because Remus is small and thin. Or because he has grey hair on his sixteen year old head. Or because he always looks weak; he's either recovering or preparing for a full moon. Sirius can't really put his finger on it. He supposes it _could_ be something else entirely…

Sirius used his wand to instantly boil the pot of water. Making sure his hand was securely wrapped in a towel, he lifted the pot off the fire and poured it gently into the mug sporting Remus's bag of honey tea.

The idea that Sirius was making Remus's tea wasn't really unpleasant to him. It seemed natural almost for Remus to go take care of the children while Sirius used his manly, sweaty, steel-like muscles to bring home the bacon…which he forgot to do. _Damn it!_ Sirius spun around, and grabbed an inked quill, jotting 'bacon' on to a piece of paper that was stuck to his fridge. He knew something was missing from breakfast.

Sirius's brain may be constantly working, but that doesn't mean he isn't subject to ADD.

"Prongs is whimpering in a corner," Peter said, bumbling into the kitchen. "Moony's trying to knock his head through the wall. I'm here for his tea."

Sirius scrunched his eyes shuts and ran his hands through his hair. "None of that makes any sense." As an answer, Peter thrust a letter into Sirius's face. Sirius grabbed Peter's wrist, steadying his shaky hand. "Blah blah Potter. Blah blah I've decided. Blah blah blah coming to Sirius's. Blah blah make sure there's no underpants on the floor. Blah blah blah see you soon. Lily."

"It just came now," Peter said. Sirius dropped Peter's wrist and stomped into his sitting room.

James was sitting like a gentleman on the couch; his hands just twitching to play with his hair. Remus's eyes lit up when he saw Peter come in after Sirius. "Tea," he said, extending his hands like a child for their mother. Peter tiptoed over to him and handed the mug over. "He's ok now," Remus muttered, after swallowing.

"Did you drug him or something?" Peter asked. He starts to wave his hand in front of James, who only smiles in response.

"Moony didn't drug me," James said. "He gave me advice on how to win Lily over in person. Through manners."

"That's just like you, Remus," Sirius leered. "Think of all the humility we could have been witness to!"

Remus frowned. "You just called me Remus," he pointed out.

"Well," Sirius shouted, throwing his hands in the air. "When you make a mistake like this-" he pointed at James.

"Now who's not making sense," Peter interrupted. The glint in Sirius's eyes made him speak again, fast. "Let's make dinner for Lily!"

Remus and James shared a look and then turned that look to Peter. "Wow, Wormtail," James remarked. "You're smart!"

"Really?" Peter droned. "I thought you'd never notice."

"We'll make something scrumptious for Evans," James continued.

"And then afterwards, when she's been lulled with food, you, Prongs, will tell her the truth."

"And I, Padfoot, will lay newspaper on my furniture so she won't get your blood all over it."

There was a minute argument between the boys about what to make for Lily. In the end, James and Peter went off to make Chicken Parmesan, (or something near to it).

Sirius and Remus flopped side by side on the now empty couch. Remus sighed into his mug. "All gone," he whispered; he reached and placed the mug onto the coffee table in front of him. As Remus sat back, his hands fell to his sides.

Sirius looked down at Remus's hand and decided to stick his own hand on top of Remus' and entwine their fingers. "I'm going to hold your hand," he said.

"Ok," Remus answered. They sat for a moment. Then Remus lifted their joined hands into the air and glared at Sirius. "This," he started. "This is why Lily thinks we're dating."

"That's a possibility," Sirius remarked. Remus sighed and dropped his and Sirius's joined hands back down onto the couch. Sirius needed to feel others, Remus kept reminding himself. Sirius needed to be hugged, and touched because no one ever does unless they are looking for much more than that from him. The most Sirius's mother ever did was rub a smudge of dirt off his face, and that was only because she didn't want the rest of the family to say anything.

"So…" Sirius said, his voice falling into nothing.

"No."

Sirius pushed his back away from the couch to glare straight on at Remus. "You don't even know-"

"Yes, I do," Remus said, not meeting Sirius' eyes. "And, the answer is no."

"But it would be fun." Sirius slammed back against the couch again, and tore his hand out of Remus's.

"I'm not seeing how." Remus locked his eyes, his thoughts, his senses on Sirius; because otherwise he would be panicking about the odd smell of burnt leather wafting in from the kitchen.

Sirius's eyes narrowed in devious pleasure. "We could snog in the corner."

Remus's heart dropped into his stomach, which in turn tried to geyser the organ back up. "You _want_ to snog me in the corner?" he asked, unnerved by the whole situation.

"It's camaraderie, Moony."

"No, it isn't."

Sirius pointed between himself and Remus. "We're like the entertainment."

A large Earth shaking crash exploded from the next room. "Ignore that," James screamed. "Clumsy ole Wormtail."

"That was you're fault." There was another loud crash. "_That_ was me!"

"I'll be kitchenless soon," Sirius grumbled.

Remus closed his eyes, picturing everything but the state of the kitchen. It wasn't his kitchen anyways, why should he care? But, he did; because no perfectly fine kitchen deserved to be destroyed by two total idiots.

"She'll be here soon," Sirius spoke up. "She'll be walking around my house with that _look_ on her face. Smelling the place up with her _perfume_." Sirius swatted the air in front of him like the smell of perfume was all ready littering the place.

"Making James act like a moron."

"You know," James's voice vibrated into the sitting room. "You two could come help us! Instead of sitting together on the couch like a pair of….never mind."

Remus rolled his eyes. "Not that making James act like a moron is a hard job."

Sirius laughed quietly. "Just think of how he would act if we pretended that we actually _are_ dating after all?"

Remus smiled broadly. "He'd be bald." Remus's smile dropped from his face and he turned to look at Sirius. "You really want to…pretend that…?"

"No," Sirius laughed. "I was playing with you." He poked Remus in the side and then pinched his cheek. "Relax about this, Moony," Sirius whispered. Sirius's voice only ever got that quiet and assuring around Remus; like, even if they were the only two people in the room, what Sirius was telling Remus was for no one to hear but him. "I'm not going to let Evans say anything to you, ok?"

Remus nodded. He felt stupid. But, being a werewolf, he wasn't very fond of being categorized.

James and Peter came back into the room, and Sirius and Remus instinctively pulled away from each other. "Well," James sighed. He sat down, while reaching into his shirt and pulling out a drippy strand of pasta. "We had to use magic."

"The expulsion letters should be delivered soon then?" Remus managed to comment without laughing.

"The _Tai_ should be delivered soon," Peter corrected, as he watched, with eyes half full of bewilderment, half full of adoring amusement, James pull more spaghetti from his trousers.

* * *

"You made this?" Lily held a forked piece of pork up in front of her face.

James hesitated. The five Gryffindors were seated around Sirius's table. The food arrived thirty-seven minutes before Lily, (hungry, hungry Peter kept count of the time). James could careless about the state of his friends' empty stomachs; Lily hugged him ands she smelled like fresh soap and cucumbers. Before they could eat, Lily "asked" (i.e.: demanded) a tour of the place. Then there was a brief catching up conversation; Sirius quickly served the food once Lily started to drift off into the topic they were most definitely saving for dessert. "Do you like it?" James ventured.

Lily didn't answer; her mouth was currently occupied by the piece of Sweet and Sour Pork and a satisfied smile stretched the corners of her lips. She nodded at James, with half lidded eyes.

"Yes," James said, clearly aroused by the whole situation. "Yes, I made it."

Sirius, who was sitting in between James and Peter, turned to the latter and pretended to vomit his meal up. Peter almost choked. Remus, who had in no other terms inhaled his food, sat in pleasurable silence, sipping his tea and kicking James under the table every time he looked close to fainting into his plate; and with the way Lily handled a fork, James was having a mighty hard time breathing.

"Moony," Sirius commanded, standing up. "Help me with the plates?" Remus nodded and started collecting the ones on his side of the table. There was no real motive behind Sirius asking Remus to help, other than he knew James would want to stay near Lily and Peter would probably stumble and get plate debris everywhere; Remus had nimble, strong fingers. So he's heard...

Lily's piercing green eyes followed the two boys out of the room. "That's so sweet," she sighed. She turned back to face James. "They're like an old married couple."

"Lily," James began. He straightened up in his chair and looked at Peter, who was slowly backing away from the area with panic written all over his face. Peter didn't like any form of confrontation.

"James," Lily cut in. "I bet Remus and Black are so thankful that they don't have to hide in front of you. That, at least in their home, with their friends, it's ok to show how they really feel towards each-"

"They're not dating, Lily!" James held out a shaky hand to stop Lily from talking. Slowly her eyebrows inched up her forehead. "They're not even gay."

"They're….but…_you_…"

"I know, I know." James swallowed. The sweet, I Think I Might Like You, Potter version of Lily was fading away, fast. "I don't know where you got that idea from…I'm sure it has everything to do with Sirius, but…I should have corrected you in the beginning. I was just so excited that you were talking to me, and not yelling at me to stop being obnoxiously arrogant…which I know I have trouble with." James stopped to breathe; Lily's face was the picture of blankness. "I just really like you, and…I would have said anything to keep you talking to me…" James's voice trailed off.

Lily fell back against her chair and she folded her arms against her chest. "Hmm," she said. "So, you pretty much lied to me?"

"Well…"

"And led me to believe….I mean, I even told them that I didn't care."

"Sirius wasn't listening anyway," Peter squeaked out. He earned a thankful head nod from James.

Lily rolled her eyes. She stared at James for a long time. He matched her stare, but his palms were leaking with sweat. "So…"

"Would you like some dessert?" James asked, before thinking. There wasn't any.

Lily shrugged. She flipped her wrist over to check her watch. "I have to be getting home actually."

"What?"

"Yes, yes. I…my father doesn't want me out late."

"But…" James didn't know what to do. He looked at Peter, sitting on the sofa shrugging and shaking his head.

Lily stood up and stared at James. "But, what?" she spat at him. It was clear that she was pissed…at him.

James started laughing hysterically. "I got you," he said, pointing at a stunned Lily. Peter sprang up from the couch.

"What does that mean, Potter?" Lily's eyes were narrowed into two deadly slits.

Peter walked briskly into the kitchen, making sure everything James was now spewing at Lily was forefront in his head.

Sirius was washing dishes, and Remus drying. Remus was _suggesting_ (as he put it) to Sirius that he should start studying for the N.E.W.T.s now. Sirius was humming loudly and dancing in place; ignoring everything Remus was saying. They both stopped what they were doing and turned to look at Peter who had entered the room.

Peter looked, once again, torn between amusement and worry. Before he could say anything, James came sliding into the kitchen, pointing wildly at Sirius and Remus. "Go in there, right now, and snog each other senseless, in front of Lily, while I comment on how great you two are together," James hissed at them. Remus and Sirius stared at him, stunned.

"That whole telling Lily the truth thing…" Peter said. "Didn't work out very well."


	5. Wrong Pieces

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hello, there! Look how fast I updated :D

Anyways, I want to once again thank all who read and all who reviewed; **big thanks to**: mercutio-rane, Tanya J Potter, elsie77, zippyfox, Little-kei, **Captain Oz (I'm secretly in love with your fic _Seeing_...love it!)**, kathaania, bets, Kitty94, slayer faith2, Kurai Shinigami, duckster2, Jessa L'Rynn, Slashykitty, **Mauraders Chick (THANK YOU soooo much! I really appreciate your comments and your criticisms. I am going to explore Lily's obbsession soon and I glad you've picked up on my idea of who Peter was! Thank you, again!)**, Cassandra, HealerAriel, StarCat13, Loreien Lupin, mabeuf, and Rhya Stormbringer!

I was going to write little individual thank yous to everyone, but I was told that wasn't allowed...so, I'm very sorry and that doesn't mean I don't appreciate everyone equally! I'm so glad that you all like this story! LOL!

Ok, one more thing: I wanted to address the whole tense confusion that some people mentioned. Thank you for pointing it out to me. What happened was, while writing the last chaperts, I was also writing a non-fanfiction story that was in present tense and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't stop all the slip ups when I went back to this. I'm so sorry! I tried to catch them all, but I guess there were just that many. Lol! This time I don't think I made that mistake. And if I did...please let me know! Thank you again!-Nikki

* * *

Lily Evans wasn't dumb. She was top of her year. A prefect. Almost positive that in a week when the school list would arrive, she would receive a better badge; one with the letters 'H' and 'G' emblazoned on it. All her professors loved her. She got straight O's on her O.W.L.s. Professor Slughorn tucked a tiny 'w' on either side of her grade because she just did that good.

So, given all of that, why on this life-giving, spinning planet was she wasting her time on James Potter?

Lily sat, alone, at the dining room table of Sirius Black. Her fingers were threaded through her thick, fiery hair, pulling the mess of it back so tightly that the veins around her roots were popping out. Her right leg was crossed over her left, and by the slight buzzing feeling in her knee caps, she knew that blood was no longer making its journey down to her legs. And that was bad, because any second now she was going to get up and get the hell out of there.

She could hear them whispering in the kitchen. She couldn't make out what they were saying, but the hissing and lip smacking were all too obvious.

On a short coffee table in the area off to the side that was designated by Sirius as the sitting room, Lily saw the letter she had sent James that morning. It was crumpled up in places, and there was a tear in the center. She wanted to make the letter disappear. She couldn't use magic, but she was a muggle born; she knew that paper could just as easily be tossed into a fire.

Those letters were the cause of her being at Sirius's apartment. She was too curious for her own good. Look at the trouble it got her into.

James's behavior around Sirius and Remus sparked her interest, changed her mind. James's letters to her cemented her brain and made her fall. But what happened moments ago, was making her mind reactive itself into James Potter Is A Berk mode.

After literally spewing out rambles about joking and Sirius and Remus and love, James scrambled into the kitchen and left Lily by herself confused, embarrassed and pissed…at him.

Lily could have left five times since James joined the rest of the idiot brigade (minus Remus, of course; that boy was just bad at choosing friends) in the kitchen. She could have left, but she didn't. She didn't because when she arrived at Sirius's she had an idea in her head, and she hugged James because he looked inviting, and his body was the right mix of bones and muscles and hard and soft. Lily hugged her arms around her own body. She wasn't stupid.

* * *

"I'll name my first born child after you," James said, straight faced. He was kneeling on the cold tiled floor, hands mashed together, looking up with slick eyes at Sirius and Remus. 

"What if it's a girl?" Sirius asked, cocking his head to the side.

"Sirius!" James dropped his hands

"What if it's a _boy_?" Peter spoke up, shaking his head.

"Got issues with my name, Wormtail?"

Peter rightly squeaked and stepped farther away from Sirius, but careful not to leave the kitchen area and be seen by the vulture in the other room.

"James, get _up_," Remus commanded as best he could in his hushed tones. James instantly sprang to his feet, tipping his glasses back up his nose. "Short of promising me a cure for lycanthropy-"

"Remus," James interrupted. He placed each of his hands on Remus's shoulders. "If you do this for me, I _promise_ I'll find a cure for that furry little problem you've got."

Remus stared hard at James. "You have to be able to deliver what you promise."

"Hands off my boyfriend," Sirius barked, flicking at James's fingers. He giggled insanely. James tore his hands away from Remus, who turned his deadly glare to Sirius. "Did I go too far with that one?" Sirius asked.

James rolled his eyes. "Please be serious," he implored. "This is my life we're talking about. My _life_! My life with _Lily_."

"You don't have a-"

"Wormtail, you don't want to finish that."

"But, you don't," Peter said.

"And I never will!" James threw his hands in the air. He was angry. He was mostly angry because he couldn't actually scream because Lily was in the next room. He had to whisper-scream everything, and it just wasn't the same.

"Prongs," Remus said, in his best authoritative voice. "I am not snogging Sirius!"

Sirius quirked an eyebrow; he was getting pretty sick of all this blabby gabby nonsense arguing and was aching for their usual bouncy rhetoric. "Prongsy, just let it go," Sirius said, keeping his face as normal as possible. "Moony is never going to give in because he's never kissed anyone before and he doesn't want to show how bad he is at it."

"That's not true at all," Remus groaned.

"Oh yeah, Moony?" Sirius smirked. "Lay us a name then."

Remus's cheeks became unattractively blotchy in the middle. "No," he practically mumbled.

James started laughing, and Peter moved in closer. "Come on, Moony," James said. "Who was it?"

"No one."

"Her name was no one or you kissed no one?" Peter asked, making James double back and high five him.

"Her name was no one," Remus said, pursing his lips at Peter. "Weren't we discussing your nonexistent life with Lily, Prongs?"

"That's right," Sirius answered instead. "I think Lily…tell us! Tell us! Tell us!" Sirius chanted and poked Remus in the belly, squashing him against the counter.

Remus's smile was wide across his face, and he squirmed under Sirius's fingers. "All right," he managed. Peter and James were holding their hands over their mouths. "It was Bellatrix."

Sirius froze. His eyes grew as wide as they would go. Remus looked at him with a grave expression. The two burst into a fury of laughter.

James sighed. "Stop messing around," he exclaimed.

* * *

Lily's foot was beating against the table. It was getting late, and her father really made her promise to be home by midnight. There was no hope of sneaking in. Petunia, her sister, was no doubt hiding in that place by the staircase where you could see everything and nothing could see you. She'd have her watch at the ready, and Lily would never be able to leave the house again. 

There was the option of phoning home and telling her parents that she was staying at her friend Alice's that night. But then Lily would either have to actually go stay over Alice's or-_shudder_-stay at Sirius's over night.

Those boys had five more minutes…then she was coming for them.

* * *

"Why didn't you tell her the truth?" Remus asked of James, even though he knew the answer. 

"Because," James sighed, his hand plowing a field in his hair. "Because when I did she immediately had to leave and was red faced and I knew she would never even ask me to pass the salt…if she even let herself sit that close to me." James cast his eyes to the ground.

Peter shuffled closer to James, placing a reassuring, chubby hand on his shoulder. "There's got to be a way to tell Lily the truth and not ruin your life in the process," Peter said. "And if anyone could think of what to do, it's you." Peter nodded vigorously.

Sirius blanched. "Why don't you just make out with him, Wormtail?"

"Why don't _you_ just make out with _him_?" Peter retorted, pointing a firm finger at Remus. "And then you could have a spectacular fight and break up and Prongs will still have Lily."

"Good plan," Sirius said, much to Remus's openmouthed staring. "Except that I'll have to pretend to hate Moony whenever we're in public together-which is _always_- and I'll have to explain how I relapsed into liking woman. Too. Much. Effort."

"Moony?" James asked, ignoring Peter and Sirius completely. James fixed Remus with his four-eyes, glinting under the kitchen lamp and unfocused. Remus had never seen anything more heart wrenching. "I know pranks. And no one in this room can fly better than me; or play Quidditch better. I'm good at sneaking past teachers, and saving Sirius's ass and transfiguration." Normally during a speech like that, Sirius would yawn and walk away, Peter would most likely be nodding in agreement, and Remus would be two seconds from retching all over the place. Normally James gave a speech like that to just remind his friends about how great he is. There was something about the look on James's face though, that made Remus, and Peter, and even Sirius, simply lean in apt attention. "I'm excellent at chasing girls….but getting them and keeping them and not messing everything up?"

"You're a Troll?" Sirius offered.

"The smelliest," James answered. "Moony. I know you read poetry and you're all jumpers and feelings-" Remus scowled and wished that he could hide the fact that he was wearing a fuzzy brown jumper, in _August_. "Tell me what to do," James finished.

Remus swallowed, and elbowed Sirius, who was snickering and vibrating next to him. "Prongs. _Tell her the truth._ That you didn't lie, that you had no clue what you were saying, that you're sorry. And, if she doesn't accept now…that's ok, because she probably will later."

James stiffened his back, and threw his head up. He nodded like a man who was just given the most important assignment of his life. And in a way, it was.

Sirius leaned close to Remus, coating Remus's ear with his hot pepper breath, and making something unusual and scary creep down Remus's spine. "Ever the optimist, Moony," Sirius whispered.

* * *

"Times up," Lily snapped. She then found herself face down on the hard floor, cursing madly under her breath. Her legs felt double their size, which was odd because when she really thought about it, she couldn't feel her legs at all. The only happy thought she had, was that she was wearing jeans.

* * *

"Is it Nap Time, Evans?" Sirius asked. He stood annoyingly poised and perfected next to his table, his grey eyes dancing merrily down at Lily. 

Lily mumbled something into the floorboards.

"What was that?" Sirius asked, leaning down with quirked eyebrows, but still not making any effort to help the redhead up.

Lily turned to glare at him with venom in her eyes, when someone thin and lanky blocked her view.

Remus reached his hand down to Lily, and helped her to her feet.

"My legs fell asleep," she said.

Sirius slung his arm around Peter's shoulders. "That's what they all say." Peter, despite being frightened that at any possible moment Lily was going to tear Sirius's torso apart and then his simply because he was a witness, laughed at Sirius's comment.

James came hurtling into the room. He turned his be-speckled head from Peter and Sirius, who were leant together giggling, to Lily and Remus, who were, for lack of better terms, _holding hands_. As the rage began to thump through his being, James noticed something else. "Lily," James said, propelling himself forward. "You're bleeding."

Lily gasped slightly. Her free hand floated in front of her face, unsure of where to investigate first. Remus was pushed roughly to the side, as James grabbed Lily's face with gentle, peeling Quidditch hands and prodded softly at a point right above Lily's left eyebrow.

"Am I bleeding a lot?" Lily asked. Her eyes were big, fluttering closed as James's fingers worked their magic on her brow. James shook his head firmly. "Can you fix it?" Lily asked. Her voice was low and raspy and needing. James's hands fell down to Lily's and he nodded towards the washroom.

Remus was glad they left. There was something about that moment that made him feel awkward and misplaced; like he shouldn't have been there. When Remus held Lily's hand, he couldn't help but feel like he was a wrong puzzle piece that someone was trying to shove into Lily's empty corner. But, _James_ and Lily? They fit.

"They're pretty perfect together," Remus said, more to hear something besides James and Lily's secret mumbles. "When you really think about it?"

"You're getting soft on me, Lupin," Sirius warned. "I didn't know you were all about gooey eyes and tingled kisses." Sirius fell onto his couch, swaying his hips the whole way down.

"Not when they're from _your _direction," Remus replied, smiling. He sat down next to Sirius and folded his hands in his lap.

Peter seemed to stagger from foot to foot, unsure of where to go, what to do, who to spy on first. He started biting his finger nails, and faced the washroom, where James pulled Lily.

"Don't even think on it," Remus shouted, his face turned towards Sirius, but his hand pointed directly at Peter.

"Me?" Peter was horrendous at puppy dog eyes. "Bugger."

Lily and James came back into the room, as Peter sank down into a chair at Sirius's table.

"Prongs kiss your booboos, Evans?" Sirius asked, meaning something else entirely that thankfully only the boys picked up. Sirius slid closer to Remus, winking at him. Remus couldn't help but laugh. Sirius was his own personal guard dog.

"What's with that nickname?" Lily asked suddenly. James blanched, scrunching his hair into his hand.

"Huh?" Sirius glared at Peter, who was biting his lower lip and glaring right back.

"That nickname you have for James? Prongs?" Lily leant to the side, her hands planted on her hips in unadulterated annoyance. "What does it _mean_?"

Sirius avoided Remus's muttering of 'Please Don't' and smirked. "Wouldn't _you_ like to know?" he licked his lips, and winked at James.

Lily's mouth fell, and she shifted to gape at James. "No. No," James stammered, shaking his hands out in front of him. "He's joking. Never. No. _Ugh_. No."

Peter laid his head down on his arms, snuggling into the corners, and laughing silently into his elbow.

"Alright, then," Lily said, frowning disdainfully at no one in particular. She looked up at James in a flash, just missing him throwing the dirtiest, deadliest look in Sirius's direction. Lily let a tiny smile escape. "I really have to be getting home."

"Are you flooing home?" Remus asked.

"Knight Bus."

"I'll walk you outside, Ev-Lily," James said. Lily sent him an annoyed eye roll. "It's dark! You don't know _what_ might be out there!" James made sure to make an apologetic face to Remus as he said the last part. James always somehow found himself making jokes that 'a werewolf' could easily be the subject of. He wasn't being mean or rude; he just didn't think.

Lily gave into James's lame excuse. "Thanks for dinner, Black," she said, forcibly making herself be polite. "Peter," she added, nodding in Peter's direction. He did an obnoxious, wavy bow in return. Peter pulled himself up, laughing at his own silliness. James whacked him playfully on the back of the head for mocking.

There was a still pause, and then Lily stepped up in front of Remus. "Remus," she started, her voice tight but full to the corners with emotion. Her mouth was somewhat pulled to the edges in a frown, and Remus tensed at what was coming. Sirius perked up, he was almost growling. Both expected to hear: 'I don't understand why you're with _him_', or 'You deserve better than _him_', or "Really, Remus…_him?_'

Lily's face blossomed into a starshine smile. "Owl me when you get your Head Boy badge! I know you'll be the one to get it!" Remus was pushed back by the mere shock that someone still thought that he was going to get the Head Boy badge. He allowed that dream to pop, but maybe he was wrong…

"See you soon, Remus. _Black_." With that, James led Lily from Sirius's apartment and down to the street.

Peter sank back into his chair, blowing out his breath. "That wasn't too unbearable, really," he said.

"She thinks I can be Head Boy," Remus whispered. "Do you think I can be Head Boy?" he asked louder. Sirius fell on top of him laughing. "Peter, do you think I can be Head Boy?"

"Uh…um…" Peter's head shot around the room, looking for something to say. "Sure," he squeaked.

"_No!_" Sirius roared, throwing his arm around Remus. "Moony," Sirius cooed, squeezing Remus slightly around the neck. "You were the _worst_ Prefect."

"Not the _worst_," Remus attempted, but he knew the truth.

"When we pulled Snivelly's pants down? You pretended not to notice. When we replaced Mrs. Norris's cat food with dung bombs? You _helped_ us blame it on Filtch's poor reading skills. You let us get away with everything! You didn't even turn us in after we wrote that love note from Dumbledore to McGonagall in irremovable red ink on the side of the Great Hall!" Sirius's voice broke with laughter and he uncontrollably leant his forehead against Remus's.

"I told her _don't deny the truth_," Remus managed, before he too was laughing, head pressed against Sirius's.

Peter sat back. He was laughing at Remus's comment too, (mostly because he remembered Remus actually shrugged when McGonagall questioned him about 'the whereabouts of those so called friends last night' and told her that they were all in their dorm; Remus could never be rude in the face of authority). Peter's laugher, though, was separated from the other two. He was miles away from them, centuries apart. Remus and Sirius were folded into each other, laughing like maniacs and sharing breath. Peter stopped laughing. He felt awkward and misplaced; like a wrong puzzle piece that someone was trying to jam into a corner, that was all ready occupied.

* * *

"Is it safe, Sir Potter? Have you slayed those ravenous mosquitoes, in my honor?" 

"Will you stop it," James laughed. He was holding open the door for Lily, who was making a show of being escorted outside. James motioned for Lily to step out of the apartment building. Lily did, smiling brightly at him as she past.

"Thanks, though," Lily remarked, casually skipping down the front steps. "It's nice to have someone watching me walk out-" Lily coughed, and avoided James's gooey eyes. "I mean, my parents will be pleased to know." Lily tilted her head up at James, and they locked eyes. Every star and string of light was mirrored in James's glasses. Lily reached up, and nervously placed her fingers on James's temple. She moved his head slightly, kicking the stars away and revealing all the real colors that were trapped in his pupils.

James swallowed, and ignored the burst of flames that erupted under his skin at Lily's soft touch. "Lily," James forced himself to say. It was now or never and if she became mad again…it was ok, because she would get over it. "Lily. I really like you. And I'm sorry I lied before. I just didn't know what I was doing, or saying…and no words can express how horrible I feel. I hope you can forgive me."

"It's ok James," Lily said. She let her hand drag down James's face, over the handle of his eyeglasses, through the mix of smooth skin and prickly hair on his cheek, around the curve of his chin, before falling back down to her own side. "I understand why you lied upstairs. At first I thought you were just being your usual jerky self but now I get it. They're your friends, and they've gone through great lengths, I'm sure, to keep their own secret-"

"Lily," James started, determined to convey to her the _real_ truth. That she was _wrong_ about Sirius and Remus. But then she said something, which stole his breath, stopped his heart, and made him forget his friends.

"I like you too, James." Lily smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "You told me that Remus and Sirius aren't dating to protect them, and among other more _vain_ things, I _really_ like that about you. You don't have to worry about me, or try to lie. Remus and Sirius's secret is safe with me. I promise." Lily blushed then, and jerked like she was going to reach up and kiss James, but thought better of it. She instead walked over to the curb of the street and held her wand arm out.

The Knight Bus pulled up in a flash of purple. And James said all he could think to say to his beautiful love: "Thank you, Lily." James closed his eyes for a second. _Bugger_. James opened his eyes, and exhaled. Lily and the Knight Bus were gone. _Bugger_. James exhaled again. _It's all right. Everything's going to be all right. Lily still thinks that Pads and Moony are dating…but it's all right! SHE LIKES ME! She's not going to say anything! She's keeping it a secret!_ James exhaled again. _At least Sirius and Remus will never find out._


	6. Being Early

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hello lovely people! Took a little longer with this chapter, sorry. Anyways, as usual I want to give the biggest _Thank You_ imaginable to everyone who read, especially: zippyfox,elsie777, **Captain Oz (you updated! I hate Stromboli! Grrr...lol)**, K McNeely, kathaania, Siriusly Black Hearted, Kurai Shinigami, actually omnicient, mercutio-rane, Cassandra, patrioticangel, SlashyKitty, TE-Bag, Tanya J Potter, starcat13, Callista Wolfwood,** Marauders Chick (Someone, I read on their post, got reprimanded by the website for posting individualized thank yous. But here I am giving you one...lol. I'm glad you find my story believable and thanks, (seriously) for watching my tenses:D ), **mabeuf, and, HealerAriel.

I feel bad not giving _everyone _a personal thank you! So, just for the record: I appreciate all your reviews! And thank you soo much for thinking this story is half way decent, and a good laugh...because I do, lol! Enjoy-Nikki

* * *

James watched the rays of the morning sun dance across the walls of the compartment he was sitting in on the Hogwarts Express. The transparent, glinting rays stung the small, gold key Sirius was holding up and separated into a million, fine lines, coating the room in bright sunlight. 

Sirius sat in front of James. He stared wistfully, frowning at the key grasped between his fingers. He turned it back and forth. It was the key to his apartment. He was giving it one last showcase before he would retire it to his trouser pockets, where it would remain for the next four months. It was a sad event.

James squirmed in his seat. The compartment was empty besides him and Sirius. The train was empty besides him and Sirius. James wanted to get there early, but he never planned on having Sirius with him. Sirius Black, notorious for Getting There At The Last Possible Second, agreed to come early with him. What kind of twisted game is Fate playing?

"Well," Sirius sighed, patting his now key occupied pocket. "This could possibly be the most boring moment of my existence, thus far." Sirius grinned, and bowed at James. "Congrats, Mr. Prongs."

James shifted in his seat again. This was an awkward moment. Normally conversation was abundant whenever he was in the presence of his best friend. Its not like this moment was really any different; it was just that James couldn't decided on what topic to start with.

James could discuss that fact that he was still in absolute, mind freezing shock that he, no longer than a week ago, was owled an official Hogwarts envelope containing his official Hogwarts Head Boy Badge. Him! Head Boy! He never imagined it. He thought it would go to Remus; Remus was a prefect, James wasn't! James wanted to tell Sirius all about his shock, all about his nerves, all about his excitement, but Sirius would hear nothing of it. Because inevitably that conversation led to Lily; she was made Head Girl. _Oh, the possibilities…_

He could talk about…all the other owls Lily sent him after the day she left Sirius's apartment. But, of course that conversation was entirely about Lily, and Sirius would probably lunge at James's throat mid sentence to make him stop.

Then there was the talk that James should be having with Sirius. This one was also about Lily. However, in this conversation, James was being strangled for a whole other reason.

It's been a month since that fateful night where James decided to let Lily believe what she wanted about Sirius and Remus, and to let Sirius and Remus believe that Lily knew the truth. James had been sick over this for the past weeks. He can't lie to his best friend. He definitely shouldn't be lying to his future girlfriend (_fingers crossed_). If he told them now though, either Lily or Sirius would stop talking to him and he couldn't have that. James ran his fingers through his hair and quickly convinced himself that no one will ever figure out the truth.

Sirius gave up on talking to James, and was staring out the window. James came out of his revere just in time to catch Sirius's face light up like a Christmas tree. Sirius pushed the window of the compartment open. "Moonykins," he screamed. "Moooonnnnyyyyy!" Sirius looked at James. "Aren't werewolves supposed to have super hearing or something?"

"Did you just call him Moonykins?" James rubbed his temple. Of course if the whole school began to think that Sirius and Remus were dating, then it's out of his hands.

Sirius started wolf whistling. "Ah, thought that get your attention," he laughed. "We're in here." Sirius slammed the window shut and sank back into his seat. "I told Moony to come early too."

"Why?" James asked, a little to fast.

Sirius looked at him like he'd never seen someone who wore glasses before. Luckily, James was spared any comments from Sirius, as Remus quietly appeared at the door of their compartment. "Hey there," Sirius greeted Remus. He stood up and helped Remus put his trunk up over the seats.

"Hi, Prongs," Remus said. Remus and Sirius sat down on the bench opposite James. Sirius looked at Remus and started bopping happily, expecting entertainment. Remus was too focused on James's chest to pay any attention to his bored friend. "Well," Remus said, his eyes dragging up to James's face. "Why aren't you wearing it?"

James swallowed. He knew this was going to be a rough subject. "Padfoot told you-" Sirius grinned at him. "-obviously." Remus nodded. "Sorry, mate. I was going to owl you."

Remus shrugged. "Why aren't you wearing it?" he repeated.

"Oh," James started. "I didn't want to seem too eager."

Sirius leaned over to Remus. "He slept with it under his pillow-"

"Sirius!" James threw a book at Sirius's big head, but he missed. "You're the worst secret keeper."

"_Evans_ is Head Girl," Sirius said to Remus. "Welcome to Hell."

"Not for me," Remus laughed back at Sirius. "I'm not the one that's going to be yelled at by his best friend every day for causing trouble."

Sirius furrowed his eyebrows. "If I'm going to Hell, Moony, you're coming with me!"

"That's not fair!"

"You're right," Sirius said. "They probably don't have a library and I'll never hear the end of it." Remus laughed, throwing his head back, making Sirius giggle with delight that he finally, that morning, had someone normal to converse with.

James was too busy trying to shake off that wave of sickness that again came over him, when Remus said that James would have to be the one to scold Sirius for being out of bed at night and causing all kinds of havoc. He could just see that look of smug defiance on Sirius's face; the look that he and Sirius threw at Head Boys of yore. Maybe it wasn't too late to give Remus the badge after all.

"Are you all right, Prongs?" Remus questioned, peering at James through his honey brown fringe. "You look green."

"I'm fine," James squeaked. He shook his head and repeated his statement again in a normal voice. "Fine."

The three boys sat in an ear-ringing silence. James looking like he was being led to the torture chambers. Remus looking mad because if _he_ got the Head Boy Badge, then _he_ would be the happiest person on Earth. Sirius looking bored out of his mind.

Sirius sighed loudly, and dramatically. He slumped against Remus and looked up at him with wide, liquid eyes. "Moony? My love?" he whispered.

"Yes," Remus whispered, back.

James's ears perked up immediately. He quickly grabbed a book from his bag, and pretended to read it. He really wasn't sure if he wanted to see where this was going. Lily's a smart girl, James thought. Would she really be wrong about something? _Probably not._

"You know I love you right?" Sirius asked Remus.

Remus nodded his head and stared down at Sirius. James gulped.

"Then…" Sirius snuggled his shoulders against Remus's chest and grabbed Remus's hands.

_Oh, Gods! Not here_, James's inner voice panicked.

"Will you massage my head?"

"No!" Remus laughed and pushed Sirius off of him. "You're insane."

"Please," Sirius begged through his laughter. He grabbed Remus's hands again. "But, you have piano player's fingers! And my head hurts."

James put his book down, and smiled. _Lily's so dumb_, James thought. He threw his hands on his head. _Oh, I hope she didn't hear that. I bet she could read minds, she's so smart!_

"Sirius," Remus said, ripping his hand out of Sirius's grasp. Remus started laughing. Three months ago, after he read The Note, behavior like this made Remus uncomfortable and nervous; but he's decided that having Sirius's friendship was better than worrying about what Lily Evans thought. Plus, James assured him that he set Lily straight, so that helped him relax too. "Sirius, I don't care how good of friends we are. I am not giving you a head massage." Sirius frowned. "Why don't you ask _Margaret_?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, but smirked. James looked from Sirius to Remus. "Who's Margaret?"

Sirius and Remus adopted identical looks, staring wide eyed at James. "Who's Margaret?" Sirius repeated. James nodded. Was he missing something? "I told you," Sirius said.

"Told me…?" James's eyebrows knotted at the middle. "You didn't tell me anything."

"In the letter I sent you."

"All you said in that letter was that Moony was coming back to visit, and that you learned how to make falafels. And that a bird pooped on your bike."

Sirius stared unblinking at James. "I can't believe I didn't tell you."

"You tell me everything." James's voice was low, hurt.

"I didn't do it on purpose."

"Wow, Pads," Remus spoke up. "Good thing I met her, or we'd all be thinking that you made her up." Remus laughed.

"To prove _Evans_ wrong," Sirius laughed back.

James could feel steam rising out of his ears. He hadn't even done any thing Head Boy related yet, and all ready Remus was replacing him. "Who is Margaret?" he shouted over Sirius's and Remus's laughter.

"Oh sorry, Prongs," Sirius said, turning back to face James. "She's the granddaughter of the man who owns the bakery below my apartment? We made out a couple of times."

"She smelled like sugar cookies."

Sirius smiled. "Moony liked her."

"No, I didn't," Remus blushed.

"Anyways," Sirius continued, looking back at James, but elbowing Remus in the arm. "She was nice. We snogged a lot. I didn't really like her, though. She went back to Leeds, and that was that."

"Oh," James said, through his seething anger. How could Sirius _forget_ to mention that he had a quasi-girlfriend for a while? "So, Evans _is_ wrong," James added, more to himself. Perhaps he shouldn't have said that out loud, then

"What?" Remus asked, burning holes into James.

James mentally smacked himself. "Nothing."

"What do you mean, Evans _is_ wrong, then?" Sirius asked. "I thought we settled this!"

"Hello!" James's restatement that the Lily situation was all settled, _(liar, liar)_, was gladly interrupted by Peter who came bustling into the compartment, making all kinds of noise. Peter threw his trunk up above the seats, and plopped down merrily next to James. Peter had a bright smile on his face, but as he glanced from friend to friend, the light in his eyes slowly dimmed. "Is everything…alright?" he asked, knowing full well that it wasn't.

"Yeah, yeah," Sirius dismissed. He sat back, pulling Remus with him. The two shared a quick look. James kept his eyes on Peter.

"Oh, good," Peter said. "Because I have something to tell you guys, that I didn't want to say in a letter." Peter was more than really curious about what just happened or almost happened before he came in, but he needed to talk and he was rarely given the chance too.

Remus sat up, and turned attentive eyes to Peter. "Are you dying?"

"No," Peter chuckled. "No. I failed Transfiguration."

"What?" Sirius laughed. He stopped abruptly when he noticed that Peter wasn't. "You're serious?"

Peter nodded. "I found out when I got my list."

"Wormtail," James began, his voice spiked with hidden laughter. "We, _you included_, have conquered one of the toughest Transfiguration spells in the book! Becoming animagi! How can you not be superior at the subject?" James bit down the want to add 'like me' to that question.

Peter shrugged. "You know how nervous I get on exams."

"So," Remus spoke up. "What are you going to do? Isn't Transfiguration one of the N.E.W.T.s you're taking?"

"I've been assigned a tutor," Peter sighed.

"Ooh," Sirius teased. "Extra lessons with McGonagall?"

"No." Peter and James looked at each other, and then burst out laughing.

"I'm not sure why you find that appealing, Padfoot?" James laughed.

"I have my reasons."

"Anyways," Peter continued. "It's some Slytherin. Our year." He noticed the look of horror on all three faces. "_Not_ Snape." There was a collective sigh of relief.

James turned and stared at Peter. His eyes were sharp. It made Peter feel uncomfortable, he wanted to squirm and hide. "Almost all of the Slytherins are tied somehow into that new gang…the one with that Voldemort man." James clapped Peter on the shoulder. "Just be careful, alright?"

Peter nodded. Though he didn't know what all the fuss was about. He didn't like being saddled with a Slytherin anymore than them. If it wasn't for his Mother's pestering, he would have just dropped the subject all together. But, she gave him some speech about making her proud, and doing something with his life, so he felt obliged.

There was nothing to say now, it seemed. All four boys took turns staring at each other. They felt different this year; like lines were drawn between them all. Sirius instinctively shifted closer to Remus. At least he wasn't going off to get tutored, or to be Head Boy.

Sirius was just getting into scowling at the floor, when the reason for his misery stuck her stupid red head into their compartment.

"Hi," Lily said, cheerfully.

"Hello, Miss Head Girl," James replied with an air of teasing. Lily smiled and stepped into the compartment. Her shiny badge was attached to her lapel, where it would remain for the rest of the year; never once seeing the inside of a pocket or the top of a dresser. Sirius was meaning to start a bet with Peter and Remus on how fast it would take James to lose his badge. He was thinking a week, maybe two.

"Hi, Remus," Lily said. Remus nodded and tried to ignore Lily's look of resentment. "I'm sorry…for assuming that you'd get the…I hope I didn't get your hopes up."

"Don't worry about it, Lily," Remus responded, smiling.

"She should major in ruining people's lives, aye?" Sirius whispered into Remus's ear. Remus pursed his lips and nodded. They both missed the fact that Lily was staring at them.

"Why don't you sit down, Lily?" James shoved Peter over, so that there was now an empty seat next to him for Lily to sit.

"We only have a few minutes, James," Lily said, sitting down gracefully. James couldn't stop himself from staring with lust at the way she tucked her skirt under as she sat down, crossing her legs at the ankles, like a lady would. "Before we'll be needed to make sure everyone is on the train and not running around like maniacs." As she said the last part, Lily threw a venomous glare at Sirius. Sirius winked back and threw his hands behind his head.

"Don't worry about Padfoot," Remus said, turning to look at Sirius. "I'll watch him."

"Oh you will?" Sirius leered. Remus waggled his finger in front of Sirius's face. Sirius opened his mouth and pretended to bite Remus's finger off.

Peter leaned over next to James and pulled at his arm. He opened his mouth, but no words came out. They both were staring at their two giggling friends who were in their own little, strange world. "Make them stop," Peter hissed at James.

Lily on the other side was laughing at Sirius and Remus. James couldn't help but notice that she looked oddly…was it jealous? James glared at Sirius and his long, silky black hair that hung like a rebel over his sparkling eyes. _All the more reason to make Lily think he's gay_, James thought.

"Padfoot," Peter shouted suddenly.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, um." Peter's head whipped around the room, trying to find some sort of conversation starter. Then he looked out the window. "Hey, isn't that your Mum? With Regulus?"

Sirius lunged for the window. Sure enough standing with all the aristocracy and importance that he was supposed to stand with, was his family. Sirius slammed back in his seat and refused to look at the window. "Thanks for ruining my day, Wormtail."

"I'm sorry," Peter squeaked.

"Talking about that gang," James said, peering out the window at the pair. They looked so much like the boy he grew up with, but different at the same time. "Isn't little Regulus..."

"James," Remus warned. Lily jumped, surprised to not hear Remus using that nickname, surprised to hear this conversation coming from them.

"It's alright, Moony," Sirius said, patting Remus's leg. "What Regulus does is none of my concern."

"Moony," Lily called. Remus snapped his attention to her on instinct of hearing his name. The other three turned slowly to her, adopting looks of bewildering amusement. Lily giggled. "Sorry," she said. "Just trying it out." All four boys laughed. Sirius would normally be angry at someone boldly calling one of them by their nicknames, but it sounded too ridiculous coming from Lily not to laugh. "Oh! I've almost forgot." Lily reached into her bag and pulled out a large book. "I thought you might want to read this, Remus." Lily held out the book for Remus. James tried to desperately catch the title. His stomach became one big knot and he thought about warning Peter to pick his feet up or else he'd be standing in puke.

"The Many Moons of The Universe," Remus read. James exhaled so roughly that Peter quirked his eyebrows at him. James just smiled back. He was in the clear. It's not like Lily would give Remus a book about Romancing You Best Friend, anyways.

"I know that these boys call you Moony, so…well, I assumed it was because you must love the moon, or astronomy. I know you take that class, too."

"Thanks," Remus said. He tried to smile at Lily, but couldn't.

"Moony hates the moon," Sirius spoke up, glaring at Lily.

"Oh?" Lily shrank back a little under Sirius's glare. Boys are the most confusing creatures, and soon someone needed to devote a science to figuring them out.

"I don't hate the moon, Padfoot!" Remus thought for a moment. "I'm not fond of it."

"O…k…" Lily sat back. Her eyes suddenly became two slits of green and she looked like some medieval snake woman. "I will find out the meaning behinds those nicknames," she said. They probably have something do with pranking and that just wouldn't fly under her Head Girl-ship.

Peter laughed. "Good luck," he said. James turned to him, only to give him a secret smile of agreement.

"Moony, might not love the moon," Sirius said, taking the book from Remus. "But, he loves stars." Remus laughed and locked eyes with an equally laughing Sirius.

"What does that mean?" James asked; once again he felt pushed away from his best friend.

"Nothing," Sirius said. "Just a joke."

"Why do you two have secret jokes all of a sudden?" He couldn't hold back his annoyance any longer. It was usually the three of them that shared secret jokes, (usually about Peter, but that's a different story), and now because he's Head Boy he's being left out of everything?

"Oh, James," Lily said. She grabbed James's hand suddenly and all of his thoughts melted into 'Oh…My…Merlin…Lily…Is…Holding…My…Hand' "Of course they're going to have secrets with each other." Lily looked at Sirius and Remus, who were once again burning holes into James with their eyes. Lily had that look of jealousy again, and she squeezed James's hand, unintentionally. "They're a couple…woops!" Lily threw her other hand over her mouth. "I forgot; I'm not supposed to talk about that." Lily smiled sweetly at James, and James was happy that at least he would be able to gaze upon Lily's beautiful face one last time before his body was ripped to shreds by two enraged mutts.

All of a sudden a fierce light penetrated the compartment, and James's savior in the form of the woman who drove the Candy Trolley entered. "Miss Evans, Mr. Potter," she called. James jumped to his feet. At this point she could be telling him that he was being summoned to perform the Head Boy's usual duty of licking the driver's toes clean; anything to get him out of that compartment, fast. "If you'd follow me, I will take you out to the platform and explain to you your responsibilities for the train ride to Hogwarts." The Candy Trolley woman shot a confused look past James's shoulders, and he could only imagine what was going on behind him. He was sure that some sort of weapon was being sharpened.

"See you at school," Lily called to the boys, as she followed the woman.

James turned around. Peter was holding his hands over his mouth, trying to stop himself from laughing. Remus was holding his hands over Sirius's mouth and Sirius's body trying to stop Sirius from charging at James. James looked at Remus.

"Oh, yes," Remus said, in a very professor like tone. "We will be discussing this when you return."


	7. Playing the Hero

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**A/

A/N: Hello! I'm so sorry that this chapter took a bit longer than usual. I'm entering some writing competitions and I've been working on those short stories every free moment I had. But, no matter what I can't seem to not want to write this...fanfiction is an addictive drug, I'm sure of it!

Anyways, THANK YOU TIMES INFINITY TO: elsie777, slayer faith2, **Captain Oz ("bless their cotton sockes" never gets old!)**, zippyfox, kathaania, intentional untruth, StarCat13, hottiegrl, **ginnythesilly (wouldn't it be funny if JK did write fanfics for her own story? lol)**, Slashykitty, ForeverRain, Tanya J Potter, missprongs07, Dork, tahwekilelohcin, Callista Wolfwood, marauders4, HealerAriel, and starfireandrobin4evah! You guys make my everyday! Also, big thanks to those that just read...I always have to mention that.

Ok, future reference: feel free to ignore this entire babbling beginning and go straight to the story...Enjoy:D

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Peter bit his bottom lip. The thin skin was pierced by his sharp teeth, and he was certain that he would be sporting an attractive lump of blood for the rest of the day. Biting his lip, holding his breath, closing his eyes seemed the only things he could do to stop himself from falling out of his seat laughing. Laughing and pointing at his two friends. Because, honestly, he could hardly remember a situation funnier than the one they were in now. 

"Just let it out, Wormtail," Sirius growled. "You're turning blue."

"I'm sorry," Peter laughed. "Really. Just. Sorry."

"Why are _you_ sorry?" Sirius asked with a heavy coat of bitterness. "You're not the one who _lied_ to us. For a _girl_." Sirius scrunched his nose up, like simply saying a word that in a round about way described Lily Evans made him sick.

"What, Padfoot?" Peter regained himself for a moment. Just enough time to make his comment. Sirius looked at him, his face frozen in pure disgust. "Something wrong with girls?"

"Look at him," Sirius exclaimed. "For once he's not the butt of the joke and all of a sudden he's…he's…who's someone really funny, Moony?"

"Did you see the way she was looking at me?" Remus turned to look at Sirius. Sirius shook his head. "Like she wanted me to be her best friend now. Bringing me presents! Like she wants me to sit over tea with her and discuss our boyfriends!"

"Like you'd have anything bad to discuss," Sirius added with a smug smile.

"Not the point," Remus hissed, through clenched teeth.

"I, actually…" Peter stopped. He bit his lip again, and looked at the empty seat that James would have been sitting in. He wasn't sure if he should express his thoughts. Then again, nothings stopped him in the past. "I actually thought that she liked you, Moony. She looked jealous. Of Padfoot."

"Ooh," Sirius smiled. "Well, isn't that the dog's business suit!"

"What?"

"He means cat's pajamas," Remus explained, offhandedly to Peter. "And I'm not sure if I agree with you, Wormtail."

"Why is _he_ excited?" Peter asked, staring at Sirius with panicked eyes. Sirius was drumming his fingers together. He looked like a man with an idea, which was never a good thing; especially coming from Sirius.

Remus sighed. "What do you got boy?" he asked, patting his knees.

Sirius dropped his devious smile, to narrow his eyes at Remus. Then he brightened. "Moony, don't you see how great it is if Evans's blood boils for you?"

"No."

"Moony," Sirius exclaimed. "_You_ can go out with Lily! And then all our problems will be solved!"

"Solved?" Remus shouted. He coughed, to regain his composure, which seemed to slip away from him whenever he was in the presence of Sirius Black and one of his half-grown schemes. "How would that solve anything?" The only thing it would accomplish is causing four lives to be plunged into misery! James will hate me. I'll hate myself. Lily will regret her choice. And you, _mate_, will be left, alone…with Wormtail."

Sirius looked at Peter, who was clearly wearing an expression of deep shock, hurt and anger. Sirius clenched onto Remus's arm, and buried his nose in the crook of Remus's neck. "Please, don't leave me," Sirius whined. Remus laughed and tried without much effort to dislodge Sirius.

"You know," Peter spoke up, his voice rising to tones worthy of an operatic soprano. His two beady eyes were fixed on Sirius and Remus, or was it Remus and Sirius. He couldn't really tell, since they were practically smushed into one being. "You know, maybe if you two were a little nicer to me, and acted a little more normal…then I could have made this all go away for you."

"How's that?" Sirius questioned, moving away from Remus.

"Because I've known since the beginning of summer what Lily thought, and that James wasn't putting a stop to it," Peter shouted.

"Well, why didn't you say anything?" Sirius shouted back.

"Why? _Why?_" Peter stopped to catch his escaping breath. "Maybe if you two didn't go down the hallways standing so close not even an _ant_ would be able to squeeze between. Maybe if you didn't fall asleep in a huddle on the common room couch. Maybe if you didn't have _secret jokes_ that no one else seems to understand. Then, maybe, it would have been easier for me to _not_ believe Lily." Peter had secretly been waiting since last January to use Remus's and Sirius's "slumber party" in some sort of argument. Remus was sick after the full moon, and Sirius was showing him how a _real_ nurse would take care of him. No matter how, or who, looked at that situation it was clearly set up for misunderstandings.

Sirius folded his arms across his chest. "What are you trying to say, Wormtail?"

"That Lily might be right!"

Sirius gasped. "How dare you side with that nosy, frizzy haired, witch!"

"Wormtail," Remus said, his voice some what lower than usual. It was the voice Remus used to have back when they were only house mates, when Remus was sill extremely shy. "We don't mean to ignore you." Remus elbowed Sirius before he had a chance to contradict Remus's niceness. "And," Remus continued, ignoring Sirius's pleading eyes. "If Padfoot and I were…together…then, we would tell you."

Peter nodded and smiled. Though, somewhere, lost in the basement of his mind, he wasn't sure if that was true.

Remus smiled back at Peter. "Awe," Sirius commented. "Are we all friends again?" Remus laughed, and Sirius pointed his finger at Remus's face. "Now you and I, messr. Moony, are going to decide on the best way to kill Prongs."

"We're not killing anyone," Remus said, grabbing Sirius's finger and pushing it away.

"Why don't you just tell Lily she's wrong?" Peter suggested.

"I don't want to embarrass her," Remus said, with frustration. "Plus, Lily doesn't take being wrong very well."

"You're too nice, Moony." Sirius yawned and stretched back like a cat. "I personally don't care what she thinks. I could've been paired up with someone worse…"

"Somehow, I'm offended by that," Remus said.

"I just wish Prongs would be the Gryffindor he's supposed to be and tell her she's wrong."

"Lily will never speak to him again," Peter spoke up. "Then instead of a love sick Prongs, we'll have this weeping mess of a human being to deal with."

"Oh," Sirius huffed. "He's always weeping about something."

"No, he isn't," Peter objected.

"He was crying last month!"

"You ran over his toe with your bike!"

"It was a mistake!"

"Still, that's no reason to accuse the man of constantly crying!"

"Well-"

"Stop arguing," Remus blurted out. "In all fairness, Padfoot," Remus said gently. "After you ran over his toe, you _accidentally_ poked him in the eye trying to put his glasses back on."

"I'm reckless," Sirius said. It was more of a reminder than an admittance of fault.

"I don't know what to do," Remus sighed, dragging his fingers through his hair.

"Oh, Moony." Sirius moved closer to Remus and pulled him into a hug. "Don't worry." Remus, without thinking, or caring, rested his head against Sirius's.

Peter felt instantly uncomfortable, and he squirmed in his seat. He started to realize that he had never felt comfortable around Sirius and Remus; like he was always miles away from where they were. "It's not that bad, Moony," Peter said, attempting to fit back in.

"Yeah," Sirius agreed, pulling away from Remus. "You could have been paired with someone worse."

Remus laughed. "Oh, like anyone else in existence?"

Sirius nodded wisely and winked. "Who are we trying to kid, right?"

"Moony?" Peter was all too eager to not have a James-like conversation about all the great things that is Sirius Black. Remus turned his attention to Peter. "Why are you so bothered by this?"

Remus sighed, and pretended to take interest in the cuff of his jacket. "I'm not _that_ bothered by it," he said. Sirius was fixing Remus with two blazing, blue eyes. They were anxious or curious or ready to fight. Sirius didn't like seeing Remus upset. Making Remus stay happy was something all three of them, Sirius mostly, strove to achieve. "I wouldn't care at all, if it…I don't like people talking about me. I don't like being labeled." Remus frowned. He didn't mean for anyone to notice it. "Werewolf. Dangerous. Half-blood."

Sirius felt particularly enraged by Remus's last comment. It was his family, his _former_ family, that made that a label in the first place. Yes, Remus was a Werewolf, but he wasn't dangerous. Yes, he was a half-blood, but that didn't make him anything less than brilliant. And if Remus was anything, to Sirius, he was brilliant.

Sirius was all ready to let sleeping dragons lie, as the saying goes. Let everyone believe what they wanted to believe about him. If they thought he was dating Remus, so what? He probably would have had fun with that rumor and pranced around with Remus's hand in his, making a big show of it all. He probably would have reeled in some girls who thought he was even hotter because of it. But, Sirius had the luxury, the attitude, to not be bothered by things like that. He was a Black. He inherited a great deal of money, and stood to inherit much more. He was gorgeous and talented and pure blooded. Remus was Remus; and with everything Remus went through, he didn't need Lily Evans on top of that.

"I need to stretch my legs," Sirius jumped out of his seat and stood looking down at his tawny haired friend. "I'm going for a little walk."

"Alright, Padfoot," Remus responded slowly, after a moment of silence. He raised his eyebrows. He knew Sirius was up to something, and he would have stopped him, if he knew that Sirius would have listened.

Sirius left the compartment with the intention of going to find Evans and telling her that she had it wrong, and to next time not jump to conclusions. Sirius loved playing the hero. He was going to gallop in on his white horse and save his Moony. Sirius didn't like Evans anyways; he didn't care about embarrassing her or hurting her feelings. He didn't really want to hurt James's though…

* * *

"James! Go stop those second years." 

"What second years?"

"Those two boys over there that are threatening to throw that other boy's trunk off the ledge!"

James looked at the second years with a look of fondness. "Oh, let them have their fun," he said. He remembered seeing Snape's trunk break open as it hit the tracks that fateful morning of their second year. "Merlin knows it won't…who am I kidding the pranks never stop!"

Lily narrowed her eyes, but refused to acknowledge that tiny slip up. _James has changed_, she kept repeating to herself. Lily looked up in time to see Severus Snape coming their way. _Oh I hope James has changed! Please make him have changed!_

Snape and Lily caught eyes for a second. Lily smiled pleasantly, friendly, and Snape as usual dropped his eyes and scowled. Lily turned her eyes to James, and covered her laughing mouth with her hand.

James was whistling, his head pointed towards the ceiling, and eyes looking everywhere. Everywhere but at Severus Snape. If he even looked at Snape, he was not responsible for what might have happened. So he decided that just keeping his eyes to himself was the best method to avoid a problem.

Snape passed James closely, daring him to hex him in front of Lily. James smelled his greasy presence. _Lily will hate you_, James said in his head. _Lily will know you haven't changed. Haven't changed...She's so thick. _James laughed aloud to himself.

"He's gone," Lily whispered, leaning against James's arm.She looked up at him and smiled a smile that reached the tips of her green eyes and made James's insides tie knots around themselves.

"I," James paused to clear his throat. "I have no idea who you're talking about."

Lily laughed, throwing her head back. James was lost for a brief moment as he set himself to counting how many shades of red were in Lily's hair. There had to be a thousand, plus some that didn't seem to ever exist anywhere else and were just apart of Lily's magic.

"I saw you smiling at Snape," James commented.

Lily shrugged. "I try to be nice to him; be his friend. But, he never looks me in the eye."

"He probably likes you," James leered. He wanted to laugh at the possibility of him having to compete against _Snivellus_ for Lily's love. There was an easy battle.

Lily shrugged again. "He probably does."

"Whoa!" James made a big show out of looking shocked. "Lily Evans! Don't you think highly of yourself!"

Lily's mouth fell open and the strain on her cheeks was almost enough to hide her creeping blush. "That's not what I meant," she said. Lily straightened her face up and smiled wickedly. "And isn't being smug _your_ expert talent?"

James leaned in close to Lily. "That was the old James Potter."

"Oh," Lily whispered, giggling despite herself. "And the new James Potter?"

James rubbed his knuckles over his Head Boy badge. He was all ready to make a remark about being responsible now and a good role model when two thoughts rampaged over his mind. The first one reminded him about how boring being responsible and a good role model was and that he might want to reconsider the position.

The second thought reminded him that although he would be responsible and a good role model, his best friend wouldn't be.

Lily nudged James with her shoulder. "Come on," she said. Her fingers brushed against his for a second, and it was almost enough electricity to shock him out of his thoughts. Almost. "We're supposed to circulate the platform," Lily continued. After a moment, Lily realized that she hadn't heard hardly a breath from James. She looked up at his face, and frowned. "What's the matter?" she asked, in a soft, ultra-feminine voice.

James's eyebrows were smushed together in the middle, and his mouth was set in a firm line. James looked down at Lily, met the shiny emeralds that took refuge in her eye sockets, and tore down his mental fence. "Lily?" James sighed, relishing for a moment the feel her name had on his tongue. Lily smiled and tilted her head to the side. "I'm going to tell you something and I don't want you to laugh."

"James," Lily said, in her most serious voice. "I might have to."

James stopped walking, and Lily immediately halted too. "I'm really nervous about Sirius." Lily eyes did a 360. "I'm really nervous about Sirius _because_, I'm Head Boy. I have to be the one to keep him in line. I have to be the one to tell him what he can't or shouldn't do. I have to set an example. And Sirius is going to _hate_ me."

"James! You heard Remus before; he said he'll keep Sirius in line."

It was James's turn to roll his eyes. "Yeah, relying on Remus to watch Sirius is like….relying on a wolf to watch the chickens." James wanted to laugh, but that just might reveal something that shouldn't be revealed. "Sirius has some sort of power of persuasion over Remus. Remus lets him get away with everything."

Lily stopped trying to stifle her giggles. "James Potter! Like you don't know why Black has some sort of power over Remus."

"Just because they're boyfriends doesn't mean that Sirius is innocent," James said. Then he mentally smacked himself. He would have mentally killed himself, if he knew how. _No_, he thought. _I'm supposed to stop egging this on. Stop!_ James had gotten so used to agreeing with Lily and her theory that he couldn't stop himself anymore. And he didn't want to. It made Lily happy; but as he thought about it, he couldn't figure out why.

"To _Remus_ he is innocent," Lily said. "It's like…if I set up an invisible string in front of the train that would make everyone who wanted to board, fall flat onto the ground, and you found out….would you really give _me_ detention?"

"I'd worship you, if you did that."

"See," Lily laughed.

"Lily?" James swallowed hard and locked eyes with the red head. "Why do you care so much that Sirius and Remus are dating?" He whispered the last part, checking around for any spies.

"I don't care," Lily said. Her face twisted slightly, like she was really thinking about something. "It's just…." Lily trailed off. She looked up at James and then tore her eyes quickly away. "I'm jealous," she whispered with a shrug.

"Of…Remus? Because he's, _cough_, with, _cough_, Sirius?"

"No!" The mere thought of liking Sirius Black was enough to make her want to vomit. "No. I'm jealous of their _relationship_. Of how they were friends first. It makes everything different, better. It's like true love." Lily turned to look at the crowd of people on the platform, before settling her eyes back on James. "Guys never want to become friends first."

"Lily," James said, straightening his back and mustering all the strength he ever possessed. "I want to be your friend."

Lily couldn't help the laugh that escaped her pursed lips. "Wow, James. So, if I told you that guys never want to give you a million galleons first…would you want to give me the money? Because if that's the case, I'll say that right now."

"Lily, I want us to be friends," James started again. "And so you should know that…that…you're wrong."

Lily leaned in closer to James. "Hark?"

_Bugger_, James thought. Lily's voice already had that bite to it. "Sirius and Remus are not dating. They never were, they never will. They, well Sirius definitely, likes girls."

"But," Lily stammered, venom creeping into her words. "_You?_"

"I know," James panicked. "I know what I told you over this summer. I was, _ahem_, not _lying_ but-" Lily was going to kill him with her stare, James was sure of it. "Ok, I was lying."

"You were lying to me?" Lily asked. "All those times?"

James nodded and thought about how deep he had dug his grave. It probably reached the Americas.

Between the night Lily and James parted outside Sirius's apartment to the night before this very moment, Lily and James owled back and forth at least once a day. James was sure he was dying or dreaming or delusional because Lily Evans Was Writing To Him. Lily Evans Was Obviously Interested In Him. It was too much to handle. James felt that he was given the world's most badly assembled bomb, and if he made one wrong move, the whole universe would explode. He had to say things like: "I'm not going to visit Sirius because Remus is there and I want to give them some private time before school." Or "Sirius told me he liked Remus and I helped him confess to Remus, who I knew liked Sirius back." Or "Sirius and Remus know some good silencing charms…I'm sure Remus would teach them to you." James had to say things like that because it favored _him_. It showed Lily that he was a true friend, loyal no matter what, a God among mutts! And Lily bought the whole thing.

Looking back, James regretted nothing except the fact that all he told her were lies.

"I can't believe it, Potter," Lily spat. "How could you?"

James grabbed Lily's arm and dragged her over to a small corner away from the crowd. "I only made you think you were right, because it got you to talk to me; _really_ talk to me. And that's all I ever wanted." James was positive that that was going to make Lily swoon.

"I would have _really_ talked to you, Potter," Lily said back. There was not even a sign of a possible swoon happening. "_Eventually_. After you dropped that I'm So Great attitude. But, now everything's tainted!"

"Well," James started, searching for something to say. "If you didn't act like you were so deeply invested in Sirius and Remus's love life-"

"Sirius Black could be dating _McGonagall_! Flitwick! His cousin! I really don't care what Black…or Remus, do in their love lives. I just made an observation. An observation about them….and an observation about _you_, James Potter. But, I guess I should get my eyes checked."

"Is that a blow against people with glasses, because that's not fair."

Lily stared at James like his head shrunk. "Are you mental?"

"Look, Lily. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change the fact that you made me look like a _fool_ and _lied to me!_"

* * *

Sirius was creeping along the wall; padding closer and closer to the two shadows that he identified as one James Potter and one Lily Evans. He spotted them immediately when he stepped off the train. They were standing in the middle of the platform, eye to eye. Then, he watched James pull Lily away to a deserted corner and Sirius knew that this was no ordinary conversation. 

"But, now everything's tainted!"

Sirius was a step away from the pair. Not that they noticed, they only had eyes for each other. Unfortunately, for everyone involved they were more like evil, glared eyes as opposed to the more desired puppy dog, lovey eyes.

Sirius heard James whisper-yell: "-act like you were so deeply invested in Sirius and Remus's love life-" and he now could confirm what they were talking about. James was finally really telling Lily that she was wrong about Remus and himself. It didn't seem to be going very well, Sirius thought.

Sirius bent over slightly to catch a glimpse of James's face; and what he saw made his heart melt.

James looked perfectly miserable. Heartbroken; like he was bearing witness to his own world falling apart. It kind of was. James almost had Lily. He tasted victory. He was happy and Sirius had to admit that James's smile was high wattage. Sirius definitely liked Happy Prongs better than Love Sick Prongs.

Sirius suddenly felt horrible. It was his fault James was in this position. His fault for losing commonsense in the face of Remus Lupin and his warming, compatible personality. His fault for developing an unusual, but fun, friendship with the same boy. His fault for making James give up his dream.

Sirius felt awful.

"Look, Lily. I'm sorry."

"Sorry doesn't change the fact that you made me look like a _fool_ and _lied to me!_"

And there was only one way that Sirius could think of to save his best friend.

"What's going on over here?" Sirius shouted, rounding on James and Lily.

James looked miserable and angry and insane all in one punch. Lily's face was beginning to rival her hair. "You heard all of that?" she asked in an embarrassed whisper.

"Yes," Sirius said. Lily looked at her feet, and Sirius took that moment to send James a, hopefully, reassuring wink. "And Prongs," Sirius continued. "I know you're keeping the promise and I'm grateful-"

"The promise?"

Sirius laughed and locked eyes with a very confused Lily. "He's relentless!" Lily smiled awkwardly for a second. "Prongs! You don't have to lie to Evans!"

James choked on his own oxygen and glared at Sirius. "Why are you out here, Padfoot?"

Sirius blinked, but kept his composure. "Oh," he said. "Well, I came here to ask you to, uh, yeah, come get Peter to leave the compartment!" Sirius just loved playing the hero; and because he was so delighted about rescuing his best friend from a shattered heart, he momentarily forgot about Werewolves. He raised his eyebrows at Lily and adopted his best scorching, suggestive look. "I want some time _alone_ with my boyfriend."


	8. Remus's Ticket

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: I am sooooooooo sorry, about the long delay in posting. I was doing so good for a little while there! Anyways, this chapter might be a tad confusing but I have plans and they are funny!

So, as usual: SUPER sized Thank Yous to EVERYONE who read this and left me comments, you all are gorgeous and you simply rock my existance! I'm not going to write all the names because I heard more about how its not allowed, but I'm very very thankful! On to with the show!

* * *

"Come on! Put that down!" "Make me!" "It's mine! Stop it" 

Lily's red head whipped around to see where those screams were coming from. A couple of third year brats were causing some sort of loud commotion. Lily spun back around to look at two seventh year brats who were staring at each other, trying to whisper through their eyes. Sirius looked at Lily and jabbed James in the side. Lily pursed her lips. Then she flipped around and marched away.

"Alright, Lily," James shouted. "I'll come help you in a second! I'll be….Sirius Black!"

"What?"

"Are you mental? Actually, why am I bothering to even get your opinion on this; of course you are."

Sirius looked at him with outrageous shock. "I was helping you!"

"That's very nice of you, Padfoot, but I was _telling her the truth!_" James ran his fingers through his hair. "Now, we have to keep on lying or she'll never talk to me."

Sirius shrugged.

James gaped at him. Why did nothing ever bother Sirius? "You don't care about having to lie to Lily? To _Moony_?"

Sirius shrugged again. "It comes naturally," he said grinning, like it was a trait to be proud of.

"Well that's-"

"Prongs, did you do something to your hair?"

"What? Oh, I used a new comb. Why?" James's hand flew to his hair, and he looked back at Lily, who was wagging her finger in some little kid's face. _What a beautiful finger…_

"It looks different," Sirius continued.

James turned back to him. "Bad?"

"No, I like it." Sirius smiled. James smiled. "See," Sirius said. "It's that easy."

"What is….hey!"

Sirius barked with laughter. "Listen, Prongs. For six, or a thousand, years I have had to bear witness to you and your quest to be Mr. Lily Evans. And, man, you're so close now!" Sirius clapped James on the back, and James knew that Sirius's actions were pure; there was no mischief in his eyes, no hidden agenda. Sirius was just being James's best friend, which was his greatest role. "I don't want to see your window of opportunity slammed shut in your face because Evans is _embarrassed_," Sirius continued. "You're my soul brother. I'm going to help you. Lying to Evans, I could care less about. And Moony?"

"And Moony what?"

Sirius's face froze, and drained of blood. He was concentrating so much on his speech, that he was only aware of the words streaming out of his yapper and nothing else. How could he be so caught off guard? Sirius could usually smell Remus coming. He smelled so…_Remus_.

"Moony!" Sirius spun around, flashing an overly bright smile. "I was just telling Prongs that…that…that we should go somewhere fun for Christmas break. You know a vacation? I said to James: wouldn't it be fun? Me, you, Wormtail, _and Moony?_" Sirius made a wild motion with his hands like he was rewinding the air.

Remus could almost see the pores on Sirius's face fill with tiny droplets of sweat. Sirius doubled back and started to manically whisper to James. Remus didn't know why Sirius was acting this way, but Remus did know that there was nothing in the ever expanding universe that would make him go on a Holiday with Sirius and James. Pure mayhem. Remus preferred those two when they were enclosed in a castle or a fenced wood, not unleashed on a poor, defenseless Earth.

"I didn't ask for you to save me," James hissed, his lips practically sucking on Sirius's nose. "You're digging your _nails_, into my _arm_!" James screamed that statement, and shook his arm to try and violently knock Sirius away.

Sirius looked at James with pleading eyes, his hand firmly grasped around James's thin, but muscular Quidditch limb. Uncomfortable. That is all that Sirius could feel at the moment. Uncomfortable because Remus was giving him The Stare and Sirius knew that he made a boo boo.

Remus sighed half exasperated, half worried. "Come on, Padfoot," Remus said gently. He slipped his fingers under Sirius's and pried them off of James. "Come on. Everything's going to be alright." Remus looked directly into Sirius's wild eyes. His heart sunk. "What's the matter?"

Sirius whimpered and flung his arms around Remus. "Oh, Moony," he whined. No more than twenty minutes ago, Sirius got through listening to Remus express his insecurities; Sirius was moved by that, Sirius vowed to protect Remus, Sirius would never want to see Remus upset.

Sirius was easily distracted. In the face of James and his problems, he completely wiped out everything Remus said.

Remus started idly patting Sirius's head. He caught James's eye and the two shrugged for different reasons.

Sirius needed to figure out what to do, fast. Remus forgave him for the whole trying to kill Snape thing, surely he would forgive him for lying. And James, poor, bad with the ladies, dufus, James needed Sirius's help more. Remus would understand! Sirius pulled away from Remus, only to catch the speeding blur of Lily Evans.

In a moment of what he assumed was genius, Sirius threw himself back against Remus, and wrapped one of his legs around the smaller boy's hip.

"Sirius…" Remus's voiced wavered. Sirius started nuzzling his nose into Remus's neck. Remus was being humped. And not by Padfoot the _dog_. "Sirius," Remus shouted, as he felt Sirius's body press against his own.

"_Black!_" Lily was staring at the two with horror in her eyes.

So was James; though he was oddly amused by the whole thing, as well. Sirius knew how to put on a show.

"Sorry, Evans," Sirius said, his voice low and husky. "Lost in the moment."

"Black," Lily started, her eyes narrowed. "You are a seventh year student. You need to set an example!"

"He was," James said, winking at Sirius.

Lily blushed, but shook her hair so that it would cover her face. "James," Lily warned. Lily looked back over to Remus and Sirius. Remus's eyes were wide, but fixed on to Sirius, who was curling the longer wisps of Remus's hair lovingly around his finger, praying to all the Gods that Remus didn't catch on and tie him to a train track.

"Remus," Lily said. The thought of aligning herself with Remus crossed her mind often. The two were smart, and sane, and Remus could probably be convinced that they needed to get as far away as deemed possible from anyone named Potter and Black. "Remus what are you doing out here?"

Remus frowned. Sirius had his left arm wrapped around his right, and there was hot breath on his neck. "I'm tired, but I don't want to fall asleep until we start traveling. So, I came out here to stretch my legs, and keep my eyes open."

"I need to do that too," Lily half whispered. Her eyes at that moment were locked on Sirius, whose own eyes were locked in a pleasing droop on the back of a sixth year Hufflepuff hussy with long blonde curls. Lily then took notice of Remus's look of discomfort. This didn't seem like a couple in love. She shot a suspicious glance at James.

James caught the tail end of Lily's look and promptly kicked Sirius's foot._ This isn't going to ever work out_, James thought.

"Wha?" Sirius spat out. James's head flicked towards Lily, who looked like a steaming kettle of fury. "Oh! Ah. Moony?" Remus turned his head to Sirius. Remus's lips were a tight line. "Don't go to sleep! I have plans for you." Sirius smiled seductively and ran his fingers through Remus's hair. Remus's back and neck stiffened; but the look of amusement on James's face pretty much explained everything.

Lily's mouth dropped, but she quickly recovered. She wasn't sure about anything! One minute James told her that Sirius and Remus were a couple, then he took it back and said they weren't, then took that back and said they were. One minute Sirius only had eyes for Remus, then he looked like he was about to ravage some poor girl right there on the platform, and then he once again looked like he was instead going to ravage Remus. Lily didn't care what was going on or not going on, (or should be going on), between Remus and Sirius. She could care less if they were dating or not. It was James that she cared about. There was more to him than a smug athlete. She thought that Sirius and Remus would lead her to uncover the real James Potter, which she unfortunately was desperate to find. Lily shook her head. She hated feeling anything towards that bespeckled jerk.

James smiled at Lily in an attempt to make peace. He noticed that he was quite angry at Sirius. Everything was fine, the lie was fine, until Sirius found out about it and decided to "help". Somehow the idea that Sirius should have his hands all over Remus at every second was not what James expected "helping" to include.

"Hey, Head Boy!"

James's neck was tackled by a stringy arm and he snapped around. "Longbottom," James greeted the fellow Gryffindor, tackling him back playfully.

"Hello, Lily," Frank said, bowing ostentatiously.

Lily bowed back, giggling. "Hello," she said, with a regal voice, puffing her chest out. James tried not to stare. Frank clapped James on the back and raised his eyebrows. James's quest for the hand of Lily Evans was a very well known story.

"Hey Sirius, Lupin," Frank said. He waved at them with a casualness and familiarity that made both Sirius and Remus still with anger. Frank turned back to James and asked him questions about the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Sirius and Remus shared a look, both noting how they were standing, (Sirius tangled around Remus, with his hands in his hair, and Remus, with no other option, and being too tired to shrug the raven haired boy off, had wrapped his arms around Sirius's waist). _They_ were uncomfortable with this stance, why wasn't Frank; someone who knew them, but not well enough to find this behavior normal.

Sirius uncurled himself from Remus, and stepped away from him. Remus looked over at Sirius's doggy eyed, apologetic face, and crossed his arms.

"Alright," Frank spoke up. "I'm going to go find Alice. See you later." Frank smacked playfully into Sirius's shoulder and stomped off.

"Berk," Sirius scowled, rubbing his arm.

"I thought you liked, Longbottom," James said.

Sirius huffed. "Not anymore."

"You've always liked Frank," Remus pointed out.

"Stupid git," Sirius grumbled.

"Sirius," Lily shouted, startling everyone, even herself, with the use of Sirius's first name. Usually she spat out his last name, complete with disdain. "You can't have everyone!"

Sirius, Remus and James stared at her. "I," Sirius started. Nevermind," he sighed. Sirius began to wonder if Lily fancied him and she was forcing him to look like he was attracted to men, so that she can forget her crush. Sirius beamed at the thought. Of course Lily would like _him_! All that unfounded hatred had to come from somewhere. _Silly, delusional, Evans_, Sirius thought. Sirius looked up to see his two best friends and Lily staring at him with confused, worried faces.

"Why were you laughing to yourself?" James asked.

"Oh, nothing you ever need to worry about, Prongs my lad." Sirius shook his head, and placed his hand over his heart. No matter how pretty Lily's hair looked when it swished back and forth, she was off limits. Sirius tossed his own gorgeous hair.

"Lily!" Lily rose up on her toes to peak over Sirius's shoulder. She smiled and waved at Alice.

"I'll be over there if you need me, James," she said, cursing herself a second later. With fully blushed cheeks, Lily sped over to her friend.

"Alright. Explain," Remus said, rounding on Sirius.

Sirius dropped his head to the side. "Explain what?"

Remus gaped at him and motioned around with his hands. "This!"

"Oh," Sirius started. "Well, you see this is called a platform. It is where people stand before boarding a train."

James tried to hide his laughter at the look of pure annoyance on Remus's face. "You know what I mean, Sirius," Remus said. "I thought this was over." Remus's face stretched, as he let out a jaw cracking yawn.

Sirius grabbed this opportunity, and slung an arm around Remus's shoulders. Remus shrugged his arm off, and stepped away. Sirius's eyes looked truly hurt for a second, before he caught himself. Now Sirius remembered why he should have saved Remus. Remus didn't need this extra burden, and if this lie ruined him and Remus, Sirius would really miss their causal, comfortable friendship; something he couldn't have with James, since they were the kings of the boy's club. "Moony," Sirius said, with a quiet, gentle voice that was not often heard. "Why don't you go take a nap? You look exhausted."

Remus wanted to protest this, but his second giant yawn had other plans. He nodded vaguely and made his way back to the train. Sirius watched him leave and then looked at James. "I'll tell him what I did," Sirius said. "Now that you're all Head Boy-ed and _responsible_; Moony's my only companion. I can't have him not talking to me."

James frowned. "I'm still your friend," he whined.

Sirius laughed. "Lily's calling you."

"Where is she? I'm coming!" James frantically looked over to where he saw Lily last. He made to run to her side, but Sirius grabbed his arm.

"She didn't call you," Sirius laughed. "I was just proving my point." James opened his mouth to speak, but Sirius stopped him. "Prongs, it's ok. I've already told you that I'm not going to let my boredom or lonely feelings or pain from missing my best friend or sorrow at being ditched…get in the way of you and Lily."

"Somehow that speech made me feel worse," James scowled.

"Well…" Sirius's famous smirk blasted across his face.

"No," James warned. "I don't want your help."

"Too bad."

"Padfoot," James sighed. "Lily has developed feelings for me because she thinks I'm accepting, and understanding, and helpful, and nice, and not a tad bigheaded."

"A tad?"

James rolled his eyes. "The point is. I need to prove to her that I _am_ all of that. By myself. Without pretending that my best mates are dating."

"Pretending?" Peter sprang out of no where and raised his eyebrows at Sirius. "That's not what _I_ heard."

"It's the last thing you're going to hear, Wormtail!" Sirius towered over the small boy with a playful gleam in his eye.

"N-now, now, P-Padfoot," Peter fake stuttered, something he was really good at since he did it when threatened anyway. "I'm sure your b-boyfriend won't want you fighting on the p-platform."

Sirius growled. "Remus doesn't own me," he laughed. Sirius lunged at Peter, who shrieked with laughter and sped away.

James watched them with a wistful look on his face. His head boy badge felt heavy on his chest. He looked down to glare at it, but noticed the bobbing red head next to him instead.

Lily was shaking her head, her hands on her cheeks, and her eyes narrowed on the weaving blurs of Peter and Sirius. "Do they _not_ understand that there are times and places to be running around like madmen!"

"Padfoot's just defending his honor."

"_Why_ do you call him _Padfoot_?"

James unfocused his eyes and stared off in the opposite direction. "No reason."

Lily smirked and rose up on her toes. She let her breath ghost across James's cheek. "Come on," she whispered in a low voice. "You can tell me."

James swallowed. "Lily," he gasped. "Is this any way for the Head Girl to behave? I thought we were supposed to set an example?"

Lily dropped down to her normal height, and crossed her arms. "Jerk," she said, with a smile.

The pair started walking down the platform. James noticed everything about Lily. The slight bump in her walk, the way her hair swung more to the right then the left, the way she kept her hands neatly to her sides, the way she was biting her lower lip, the way her eyes were constantly scanning the area, looking for mischief. James smiled. "Lily," he said, nudging her softly. "_Sirius_ won't cause you any problems. I promise. Remus will keep him busy, locked up in the dorm." _Studying N.E.W.T.s_, he said in his head. He meant to say it out loud, he really did. Old habits die hard.

Lily looked up at him. "And you don't mind them…up there?" she asked, her voice low and challenging, willing him to slip.

"No," James said. He probably, in reality, would honestly have almost no, kind of, only a slight, problem with it. James did, though, feel awful that he was continuing the façade, digging his hole deeper and deeper until there would be no way for him to pull himself up right. The thing was that pretending that Sirius and Remus were a couple…was just too easy. _Even Longbottom noticed_, James thought, thinking back on the way Frank didn't even raise an eyebrow at Sirius and Remus, or was it Remus and Sirius? Really there was no telling when they were smushed together like one being.

Lily smiled. "You're a good friend…_Potter_." Her next smile was teasing, and her fingers bumped purposely against James's. James knew that he passed one more hurtle towards making Lily his, and there was no hiding his happiness.

* * *

"Mmmmmooooonyyyyyy." 

"Argh," Remus growled, blindly swatting the air.

"Moony, darling, wakie wakie!

"Lemmie 'lone."

Sirius stood up from his position crouching in front of Remus's sleep clenched face, and sat down on the opposite side of the compartment. Sirius had a flash of selfishness where he felt the unfairness of his current life position; best friend #1: chasing a skirt and playing adult; best friend #2: a sleep deprived, emotionally unbalanced, werewolf: best friend #3: annoying. Sirius felt bad for Remus, but there was a time and a place to sleep and be left alone. Sirius took a big breath. "Someone just set fire to a copy of _Hogwarts, A History_!"

"What?" Remus shouted, springing out of his seat. Sirius giggled, and Remus shot him the glance of death. "Not funny, Padfoot. I was sleeping."

"But, now you're awake; which is ten times better!" Sirius swiftly moved from his seat to one next to Remus and smiled mirthfully. "Because now you can play with me!"

"It is statements like that, that make me reconsider our friendship," Remus said, with a playful grin. Remus would never reconsider any friendship because true friends were something not all werewolves were granted.

Sirius rolled his eyes, and sank back. There was a moment of brief silence between the two friends. "I think Lily is in love with me," Sirius finally spoke.

Remus's attention snapped to him, and laughter burst spectacularly from his mouth. Sirius waited patiently for Remus to calm down. Remus's breathing finally returned to a normal pace. "I'm sorry. Did you say Lily is in love with you?"

"Are you going to laugh again?"

"Probably."

Sirius sighed. "Well, don't you think so?"

"_No!_ Sirius, why do you think Lily is in love with you?" Remus felt silly even saying those words. The last couple he could ever imagine was Sirius and Lily; he would expect Lily to date Nearly Headless Nick before she even considered Sirius.

"Isn't it obvious, Moony?" Sirius lounged back to get a better view of Remus. "She has hated me since first year; and her hatred has only gotten deeper since. And for some unknown reason, she's convinced herself that I'm _with_ you."

"Unknown reason?" Remus asked. "This might have tipped her off." Remus launched himself at Sirius, lying pressed against Sirius's long, thin body. "Oh, Moony," Remus growled. His hands moved expertly through Sirius's long mane of black hair. "I have _plans_ for you, my Moony."

"Get off me," Sirius shouted, his hands pushing against Remus's torso. "You've made your point!" Remus made lapping noises and tickled Sirius before peeling himself off. "I'll never breathe correctly again," Sirius laughed, holding his ribs.

"Serves you right! You molester!" Remus sat back, facing Sirius.

"Just you wait, Moony," Sirius said, pushing himself up a little, and stretching his legs over Remus's. "When Lily admits her undying love, you'll be sorry you ever doubted me."

"I'll be counting the days." Remus squirmed. Sirius's big, boot laden feet were crushing a certain area that no feet should ever be.

"But, don't worry, Moony, _I_ wouldn't let Evans interfere with our _special time_."

"You think James is going to stop coming to the Shack?" Remus asked; he couldn't stop the slight rise in his voice.

Sirius shrugged, and led another small space of silence. Remus really didn't mind that much if James missed a couple of full moons; as long as Sirius was still there, the wolf would be alright.

"Moony? I told Lily that you were my boyfriend."

Remus's breath was bumpy with silent laughter. "I figured you did."

"Are you mad?" Sirius stared down at his fingers, which were drumming on his chest.

Remus rolled his eyes; like he could ever be mad at that 'oh, poor me' look. "No. I mean, I wish you didn't."

"I just want to help Prongs!"

"There is no helping, Prongs," Remus deadpanned. "He's as lost as your mind."

Sirius looked contemplative. "Hey," he eventually said, kicking Remus gently in the thigh. "I just thought that if we show James in a better light, then Lily would go out with him and thus would end the entirely too long and drawn out saga that is James Potter Pines for Lily Evans."

Remus laughed despite himself. "It'll happen on its own, Padfoot." Remus twisted his fingers together. "I would appreciate being left out of the whole thing anyways."

Sirius quirked an eyebrow. "Moony, do you fancy some lucky lady?"

"Not particularly. Why?"

Sirius sat up a little, bending his knee around Remus's calf. "Good, then we can pretend to date and no one will be jealous."

"No one will be jealous of _you_," Remus said, ignoring Sirius's look of shock. "And, Padfoot, I just told you I don't want to get involved!"

"You won't be!"

"You're not making sense." Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and tilted his head back. It was not even the first day of term, and he was already getting migraines.

"Moony, what do you always say about girlfriends?"

Remus sighed. "Girlfriends are a one way ticket to failing your N.E.W.T.s and subjects in general," he droned.

"Exactly, so." Sirius cracked his knuckles, and looked altogether smug. "If _I'm_ your girlfriend, or, well, you know, then you won't have to worry about spending extra time on me because I'm always around anyway. And there won't be any of that pressure to make-out because…well, you know…and you _saw_ Longbottom!"

"Yes, I saw him," Remus said, barely able to hide his anger at the fact that Frank was not even slightly disturbed by them.

"So, all we're doing is acting like our normal selves….which might not really be normal…but making Evans believe that we're a couple so that she'll go out with James!"

Remus looked hard at Sirius. "Padfoot, don't _you_ want a girlfriend?"

"If I see one that's worth my time and effort, I'll sneak her around Evans. It'll be fun!"

"Uh," Remus sighed. There was no saying no to Sirius; not ever. "Fine, then. I…I guess if only _Lily_ thinks we're together…I mean, I'm not excited about it. And I don't want any gratuitous grabbing from you. Hands off!" Sirius nodded.

"Ok," Peter said, pushing the compartment door open. "Let me just make sure I understand this." Peter walked into the compartment, shut the door and sank down across from Sirius and Remus. "You two are going to, without telling James, pretend your dating so that Lily will go out with James, who is also _still _pretending you are together, which you're really not supposed to know, woops, so that Lily will go out with him?"

"Yes," Sirius said. "That git," he added, shaking his head. "_I'm going to end the lie, Padfoot,_" he said, mimicking James's voice; if James's voice was high pitched and girly.

"My head hurts," Peter whined, dropping his head in his hands.

"So, Moony, will you be my fake boyfriend to make Evans go out with Prongs, our most beloved companion?" Sirius asked. He adopted a look of worry and batted is eyelashes.

"Only if I can write home and tell my Mum that your name is Selena and you're my girlfriend?"

"Deal." Sirius sat back and drummed his fingers together. "Oh! We're _so_ going to win!"

"Win what?" Remus asked, staring at Sirius with a real look of worry.

Sirius's face dropped and he looked confused. "I don't know. We always say that, it was a reflex." Sirius shrugged.

Remus pinched his nose again. Sirius Black was a one way ticket to failing his N.E.W.T.s and subjects in general.

* * *

A/N #2: This does not in any way mean that Sirius and Remus will end up together for real. Nor does this author's note mean they won't. Oooh...it's a mystery :D  



	9. Suspecting

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Wow. I am so bad with updating on a regular basis! I'm quite sorry. I've just been plain busy, and I will never again whine about others not updating for weeks, lol. This chapter is a little different, style wise. I just wanted to cut down on the length, but its probably just as long as usual. So, sorry if your eyes start to burn by the end of this! **  
**

As usual, Thank You to EVERYONE who reviewed! I appreciate it more than anything. I want to add all the names, but is that allowed? I'm so confused about that whole new rule. But, I'll respond to people who have questions and what not, using that new respond thing. I sound like a bad ad. Anyways, thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you for even reading my story! Much love!

&&

"And…._gotcha!_ Oh. …Wait…._whatareyoudoing?_ Oh. …Now I've got you…."

"James!" Lily's voice echoed off the floor and vibrated off the walls. She was annoyance in its purest form.

"What?" James asked with an innocent tinge.

Lily held up her lit wand so that she was able to glare exactly into James's eyes and not at where she suspected James's eyes to be. "Just because in your past experiences…that I don't want to know about…you and _Black_ paraded around the dark halls after hours doing Gods know what, does not mean that everyone else is that stupid!"

"But, Ev-Lily," James said, pointing his own wand tip at her face in retaliation. "They _are_ that stupid." Lily swatted James's wand down and pushed his chest, or the place she suspected his chest should be, to keep moving.

It was the last day of the first week of school. Lily and James had already completed four late night hall monitorings, and Lily had already had enough of James Potter's antics and James Potter was already bored of this whole Head Boy thing.

"James," Lily said. She lowered her voice to a more sweetly, feminine tone. She would only admit it in front of a legal jury, but Lily had started to feel a slight protectiveness for the messy-haired boy. And a singe of jealousy whenever he talked to anyone that wasn't her; and a fluttering in her stomach when he even looked over her shoulder; and a feeling like gravity was evaporating from the Earth's surface whenever he stood within a hundred foot radius of her. But, she suspected that those were all just early signs of insanity. She didn't like James _like that_, not yet; she hoped. "James. We're never going to find anyone out of bed…not for awhile. It's only the first week of school!"

"That never stopped Sirius before."

"Black wouldn't dare leave that dorm with me on the prowl."

&&

"_Moony!_ Hold my hand if you're _that_ scared!"

"I'm not scared!"

"Where are you?"

"Right here. Can you feel my hand?"

"Mmm, _Moony_!"

"Sirius!"

"Joking. Here I'll light my wand. There we go. Let's go spy on Prongs."

&&

"Sirius isn't scared of you, Lily! He's played with a wer…um, _ahem_, a…dragon baby, a baby dragon. And you know, they, breathe fire and things like that."

Lily stopped in her tracks. "What are you talking about? Do you need to take a nap or something?"

"No, no! I'm fine!" James grabbed Lily's arm, or what he suspected to be Lily's arm, and led her back on their way around the halls.

Lily began to panic. There was a swell of heat bursting on her flesh where James's long fingers were wrapped around her arm. It had to be fire. Her arm must have somehow caught on fire. There were torches everywhere! It wasn't like James Potter would affect her body that much. Oh no, no, no; there must be flames involved.

"So, what else is there to do besides roam the halls?"

Lily some what liked roaming the halls at night. If she had the guts, she probably would have done it before she became a prefect and it was allowed. There was something about the vast darkness and the twinkling torch light that only illuminated a centimeter of space that helped her think better; like her thoughts were safer in those halls than anywhere in the world. She was hugged in a veil of black where someone would most likely stare at the spot where they suspected her forehead should be instead of her actual forehead. She could think about her studies, her future and what coyly flirtatious remark she should make to James next for the pure enjoyment of watching his toes curl.

"Let's go to the kitchens," James suggested. James was being really good. Really, really good. He had not once asked Lily on a date this year, so far. It was a record. If the average times a person could ask another person out in a year before they would just give up was around twenty times, James would have that average shattered within the first three days of school. And here he was, his fifth day! Suggesting going to the kitchens, to eat, together, in a date setting, didn't count; though the ulterior motive was definitely apparent.

"We have a job to do, James," Lily sighed.

"Oh come on! Can't you hear my stomach?" James leaned over Lily, his mouth a breath from where he suspected her ear to be. "_Grumble. Grumble. So hungry. Grumble. Need food…_"

Lily pushed him away and laughed. "No, James! I don't want to disappoint Dumbledore."

James frowned; in the middle of his pouting he realized that no one could see him pout, which just seemed like a waste. The two walked in silence. Though, in Lily's head someone was making a whole mess of noise and she had her fingers crossed, hoping that James couldn't hear any of it. In a moment, the hall they were walking ended and split into two passages.

"Ah," James remarked, spinning to face Lily. He held his wand up.

Lily smiled and pointed to her right. "This way."

"But, wait! You didn't hear my speech about what way we should take and why the other way is better."

"This way."

"But, that way has more torches."

"That way leads to the kitchens! This way," Lily laughed. She grabbed James's arm, or the place she suspected James's arm to be; she ended up grabbing his hand. She was glad that it was just as sweaty as hers. Lily pulled a stiff James to the right.

James's mind was torn. One side was spinning, and screaming, and sparking and spazzing over Lily's hand being wrapped around his own. The other side was pouting and whining about not going to the kitchens.

James wasn't really that hungry; he just wanted to make sure that a certain best friend didn't make a certain ritual trip to a certain kitchen without a certain him. "Sirius probably isn't there anyways."

&&

"I thought we were spying on Prongs."

"A man has to eat!"

"But now we're just out of bed, for the sake of being out of bed."

"Look here, Moony…"

"Is that…chocolate cake?"

"Are you drooling, Mr. Moony?"

"Don't be jealous, Padfoot."

&&

Lily smiled. "Of course Sirius isn't in the kitchens," she said, happy that the dark hall was there to hide her blushed cheeks and teasing smile. "You're not there to go with him."

James smiled wildly. Lily always said the right thing to make his blood boil; for some reason, insinuating that he was sneaky and mischievous did the job.

And Lily knew it.

Though, she hated that she knew that, and that she used it to…to what? Make James like her more? Was that even possible? And was she losing her mind?

Lily thought about every new thing she's learned about James since last June. He matured, or he was always mature but never wanted to show it until then. His head deflated, he was more polite…he has yet to ask her out! Usually, Lily could not go a half a day without being pestered with propositions from James. Attached to every sentence he ever uttered to her was the phrase "If you'll go out with me" or "Will you go out with me" or sometimes he just merely shouted "go out with me" and why he ever thought that would work was curious.

But, now it's been, Lily couldn't even remember how long it had been since James tried to ask her out; and she felt slightly bothered by that. Because all she wanted in the universe was for James to ask her out.

What Lily didn't know was that James's very intestines were aching to ask her out. He had to perform a special kind of breathing exercise just to stop himself from screaming "go out with me" in her face. It wasn't that he was playing hard to get. He was biting his tongue. He was waiting for _her_ to ask _him_ out. Remus told him to do that. And if school ended without James having at least a half a date with Lily, first he was going to bound up Sirius, then Remus would have no one but his "good ideas" to protect him.

"What time is it?" Lily asked, her voice cutting through the silent atmosphere.

"Oh, ah-" James shook his sleeve back and held his wand over his watch. "We have a little under thirty minutes left."

Lily yawned. "There must be some easier way to do this," she said. "I don't believe that the professors take three hour shifts every night, roaming the halls!"

"I believe it. McGonagall doesn't look like she ever gets any beauty sleep."

"You know what?" Lily's voice was peppery with laughter that made James's stomach flip flop. "What they need is some sort of security system…like a big map of Hogwarts that would tell them where every student is. They'd have an easier time catching someone out of bed, if all they had to was look at a piece of paper."

James's legs ceased and froze. His heart was beating on its fastest speed. A map? What did Lily know about a map? James tried to get his hand to stick his wand into Lily's face so he could see if she was smiling or not; but his hand was also frozen, unable to move, against his side. His worst thoughts suspected that Lily must know about the map, and this was her sly, clever way of telling him. She was amazing...no, she was going to take his map away! No, she wouldn't do that...would she? If she suspected him of causing trouble with it, she probably would.

"_James?_"

"Sorry. Oh," James came out of his reverie.

"Are you, ok?"

"Yeah! I just ah….I thought I had to sneeze so I was trying to make it, come, out." James hung his head in shame. All the funny quips and fast thinking he ever did was always wasted on Sirius.

"Well, if you're ok now…we should keep walking."

"Right," James said. He grabbed Lily's hand, or the place he suspected her hand to be; he ended up grabbing the hem of her robes. Before she could say anything, he moved his hand and in a surge of bravery, or stupidity, he slung his arm around her shoulders.

Lily tensed. But, it was a good kind of tensing. She didn't bother to shrug his arm away.

"So, Lily," James tried to say casually. "Do you know of any maps like the one you described? I for sure don't know of any, at all, in existance."

"...no. I don't."

James smiled. "I suspected that."

&&

"Sirius? Why is your arm around my neck?"

"Because I thought I'd be able to coax you into carrying me."

"Um, I don't think so."

"Come on, Moony! I'm tired!"

"Then, here's an idea, let's go back to bed."

"Back to bed? What's there to do back in bed?"

"I can think of one thing."

"…oh, _Moony._"

"…why does everything I say get turned into a perverted remark?"

"Because it's fun to make your face all blotchy and contorted and then you try to frown when you really want to smile because you know it's funny."

"…wow."

"Once we find Prongs, you'll be having so much fun, you'll forget all about your bed."

"We should have brought the map."

"Put your arms out, Moony."

"Then we could have just went right to where…Sirius, why am I holding you?"

"You put your arms out."

"Once again, it is actions like _this_ that make Lily suspect that we are dating."

"Let's talk about bed some more."

&&

"So do you think I should propose this map idea to Dumbledore?"

"No!" James shouted in a panic. He coughed. Since there wasn't even moonlight shining down on them, James still couldn't see Lily's face, but he could feel her send him that sideways What Are You Up To look. "I mean, you know Dumbledore! He's set in his ways. He'll never change his system."

"Yeah," Lily said quietly. She didn't want to boost James's ego but, "you've got a point there. I don't think Dumbledore's even changed his style of robes in the last ten years, let alone the way he runs his school."

"Purple is so out."

Lily titled her head back with laughter. She suddenly realized that James's arm was still around her shoulders. As silence curled around them like thick wool, James suddenly realized his arm too. It was so casual, so right, that neither of them had even paid any attention to it being there.

They walked on. James in high spirits, thinking about how he was going to throw a party for his right arm as soon as they got back to the dorm; and Lily in a mental battle. Her common sense was flashing a big billboard that read, "Potter's too close! Abort! Abort!", but her head was willing to let this ride, her head liked the feel of his Quidditch arms around her neck. Lily was a strong woman, capable of standing up for herself, standing up for others, and was afraid of nothing. And even though it was making her sick to admit it, she liked the safety she felt being so close to James.

In a perfect, united swerve, the couple turned the corner and was once again plunged into a dead silence.

"It's eerie," Lily spoke up, desperate to catapult conversation back into the atmosphere. "How quiet it is-"

_"Owww!"_

&&

"Owww! Moony!"

&&

James let go of Lily and lit his wand. "Finally," he beamed. "Let's go give detentions out!"

&&

"Sirius! Padfoot! I am _so_ sorry!"

"You broke something I think. I can't feel my uphengeny."

"…you don't have a u-fa-gen-e"

"I don't anymore!"

"There's no such thing! Here let me help you up."

"You dropped me, Moony."

"My arms gave out. I'm _really_ sorry."

"I thought you loved me? I thought I was your fake girlfriend Selena?"

"_Sirius!_ I do, you are…you know I'm not strong. Not this close to-"

"I'm sorry Moony; of course, I forgot. Want me to carry you?"

"How about, no?"

"…are you sure? You can't see, but I'm raising my eyebrows at you."

"Charming…did you hear that?"

"Yeah. Someone's coming."

"We should have brought Prong's invis-"

"I suspect it _is_ Prongs. Come over here. We'll hide in this classroom."

"…Padfoot, are you shaking?"

"I'm just so excited!"

&&

James's head, or a black shadow that looked like it could be James's head, peeked into the lifeless hall from around the corner. Behind him another shadow, this one with long hair, made the same peeking motion. "They're hiding," the James shadow whispered to the Lily shadow.

"You know James," Lily said, her voice was wavering. Their shift was almost over, and she was starting to feel the fine hairs of sleep brush over her. "I suspect it was probably just Peeves…being Peeves."

_No_, James wanted to shout. Instead he merely shrugged, letting his shoulders brush against Lily's so that she could feel his reaction to her statement. James wanted to shout no, because he knew. He knew that Sirius was out of bed, roaming the halls, with his _Moony_, replacing James, starting new rituals with Remus, and it wasn't fair…James's mental rage vanished as he felt a hard weight drop onto his upper back. "Lily…" James called, in a voice so unusual that he would have never recognized it as his own. It was worry and protectiveness, and amusement all coiled into one.

"Mmm?" Lily mumbled.

&&

"Pads?"

"Mmm?"

"Can you see what's going on?"

"No…wait…tell me if I'm squashing you…"

"You're squashing me."

"If I just lean against your shoulder…I can maybe see…"

"…Padfoot…this is uncomfortable."

&&

"Is my shoulder comfortable?"

"Oh," Lily said with a start. She began digging her fist into her eye. "I'm really tired all of a sudden."

James grabbed at the spot where he suspected Lily's arm to be and pulled her to his side. "They did this."

"What?"

"_They_ probably hit you with some kind of sleeping spell, so that they can sneak into safety…well…"

"James its 2 a.m."

"They didn't count on James Potter…"

Lily sighed and ripped herself from James. "James! It's 2 a.m.! I'm tired…no one is in this hall! I don't know who was screaming, but…"

&&

"Yep, it's them!"

"Great! Wow! James and Lily are doing their job!"

"Sarcasm noted."

"So, now what?"

"We spy!"

"…I think Lily's falling asleep. Juicy."

"Moony? Your lack of enthusiasm is grating."

"It is 2 a.m. Padfoot! I'm tired."

"You're such a girl."

"I am not having this argument…again. The last time…I don't even want to recall what you made me do."

"It was your idea, and-"

"They're moving."

&&

James was definitely rushing a lethargic Lily back to Gryffindor tower. Not more than a moment ago, he would have sworn he heard _someone_ shout a certain nickname for a certain _dog _animagi; and he really wanted to see if the two suspects were tucked into their respective beds, or not.

&&

"Prongs is going to know we're out of bed…spying on him."

"Or maybe he'll suspect we were doing something else."

"Even if he suspects that we were at the kitchens…he's still going to be stark raving jealous."

"Speaking from experience, Moony?"

&&

Lily stopped just at the portrait of the Fat Lady and yawned. James, finally able to really see Lily's face, smiled.

&&

"Just hang back here, Moony. We might be able to slip in…if James gets distracted. And look, there's Evans!"

"So, James being distracted shouldn't be a problem."

&&

"What?" Lily asked, staring up at James.

James shook his head, and hid his smile. "Oh. Nothing."

"Well, another night with nothing to report back to Dumbledore," Lily said, pulling a small slip of parchment from her robes. "How long do you suspect this is going to last?"

&&

"Oh, Merlin…I…am…going…to hurt you…"

"I don't think Merlin appreciates the threat."

&&

James leant his long back against the Fat Lady, who was asleep and only snorted at the disturbance. "Hopefully not long. Besides being with you, this is quite boring."

&&

"Pad…foot…"

"I'm just trying to liven James's monitoring up a bit."

"So, tickle…yourself!"

"Now, why would I want to give myself detention?"

&&

"I can't believe that you don't think _I_, who abides by _all_ the rules, am not boring," Lily said, raising an eyebrow at James.

James ran his hand through the mess he called hair, and swallowed every tiny nerve cell that dared to threaten his courage. "Ev-Lily, if I had to choose anyone to spend time with, out of every person in our universe, the muggle universe, a parallel universe, my choice would always be you."

&&

"Gag me."

"Ok."

"_Mmphogona_"

&&

Lily felt, and looked, like a year's supply of oxygen was torn from her lungs. She was definitely taken aback by James's words. His voice was so quiet, and his eyes were intently locked on hers. She normally would have suspected that he was joking, or playing her, but something inside was telling her that he was genuine, super creepy, but genuine.

"James," Lily said, because she was suddenly struck with an idea. An idea she might have been ashamed of, if this was another time, and she wasn't maddeningly exhausted.

James stepped away from the wall, and moved closer to Lily.

&&

Sirius and Remus were still; Remus's hand over Sirius's mouth and Sirius's hands over Remus. They knew that this was their window. The perfect moment for them to whisper the password to the "sleeping" Fat Lady, (one of her eyes were closed, the other was following the word bubbles of the Head Boy and Girl in front of her), and slip into the tower, before James or Lily suspected anything.

Remus was pulling on Sirius to get him to move, but Sirius didn't want to. He would risk being told off by James for excluding him. Sirius came to spy and by Gods, he was going to get something worthy out of his outing, besides groping Remus, which he did everyday anyways; in a very friendly, platonic, joking kind of way, of course.

&&

"I've been thinking," Lily continued, not looking away from James for even a nanosecond. "About Remus and Black."

&&

"This can't be good."

&&

James's hopes and smile fell. "What about them?"

"Well, I was thinking that…" Lily paused to collect her thoughts. What she wanted to do was ask James out on a date. She didn't predict that it would be the hardest task on Earth. "I was thinking that, it would be a nice gesture, to them, if we went on, like a, double date with them. During the Hogsmeade visit, next weekend." Lily licked her lips.

"What?"

&&

"What?"

"What?"

&&

James head looked from side to side. "There's an echo out here."

"Odd, but anyways, I was just thinking…" Lily swallowed another oversized gulp of air. "You and I _have_ to be together, the whole time, while we're in Hogsmeade…you know, because we're in charge, basically. So…" Lily suspected that this must be how James felt all the time, as she fought down the urge to scream "Go on a date with me!" right in James's face. She only stopped herself because she didn't want to be a hypocrite. Lily also really didn't want to admit to herself, or James, that she wanted to go out with him. She was leading him, bating him, so that he would ask the question and save her dignity.

James's voice finally made a mad dash back to its home. "You want to go on a double date?"

"I don't think Remus would mind."

"What about Sirius?"

&&

"Oooh! I mind! I mind all over this idea."

&&

James laughed. Why did he even bother asking that? Of course Sirius would mind; and he suspected that Lily would probably mind too. And Remus! Remus has a big mind and it would all be against being dragged on a double date. But, Lily wanted him to ask her out. Finally all the self inflicted pain he had to endure to stop himself from bothering her, paid off. He wasn't going to turn this down. Sirius and Remus would just think that the four of them were hanging out like friends, nothing more. It wasn't like James was going to make them hold hands.

"Ev, _hem_, Lily!" Lily smiled, though she was embarrassed through and through. James hid his hands deep in his pockets; for fear that they would start tearing at his hair. "Do you want to accompany me, on a double date with Pads-Sirius and Remus? Though I suspect we shouldn't call it a date, in front of them because, well, they like, you know-"

"I understand James. That would be great." Lily beamed and then felt immediately sick.

James beamed and spun around to face the Fat Lady. "Grindylows," he said. The Fat Lady made a show about being woken up, but let them in. James and Lily shared one more brief awkward smile, before speeding to their respective beds.

&&

Sirius turned to Remus, who was shaking his head. "Guess you're my Hogsmeade date," Sirius laughed.

Remus wanted to laugh, but not really. He looked up at Sirius, easily finding his grey eyes lit in the dark. "Padfoot, I was already your date."

"No. _Now_ you're my _date_…before you were just my date because I didn't feel like finding a real one."

Remus stared straight ahead. "I'm feeling so many things right now that I suspect I might implode any second." Remus turned to look at Sirius. "You're going to make Prong's life hell, right?"

"Oh, Mr. Moony," Sirius grinned. "Grindylows," he shouted.

"Great," Remus mumbled, following Sirius into the dorm.


	10. Olympic Worthy

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hello! Long time no see! I know, I know. It's been over a month, but, if you happened to check my profile page, you would have read all about how during Decemeber I played constant slave to Christmas shoppers. I _literally _worked from dawn to dusk. And just when I had time to let my hungry mind out to write, I had to put my cat to sleep. Which was possibly the hardest thing I've ever done. So, in conclusion, I am terribly sorry for the wait. And I'm really really really going to try and not let long stretches of time pass between chapters. It makes me sad to see my little story sitting in my documents folder, being ignored and collecting virtual dust bunnies!

And, as usual, I would love to thank EVERYONE who left a review. I appreciate it to no end! Perhaps, I'll drop a little personal thank you, to make up for not mentioning names here. :D

* * *

"Good morning, star shine!"

Remus's eyes were heavy laden and wanted to do many things, none of which involved them opening. He dug his nose deeper into his pillow, surrounding his pupils in blackness. There was movement next to him. He could feel his mattress sink down, raising his own body up. And now his pupils weren't the only things surrounded by Blackness.

"The Earth says hellooooo!"

"Please stop," Remus hissed into his pillow. He didn't want the Earth, or Sirius, to say hello to him. Today hadn't even begun and already Remus wished it would go away.

"Now, Moony," Sirius said. To Remus's ear Sirius's voice felt like it was coming from a higher altitude. This had a calming effect on him. At least Sirius wasn't in his "cuddling" mood. "You're the only person who can manage to get out of bed on the wrong side, before he's even gotten out of bed."

Leave it to Sirius to be awake and coherent at, Remus ventured a peek at his clock, 6 a.m. Remus rolled over, allowing one blurry eye to escape its prison and look at Sirius. To Remus's high annoyance, Sirius was grinning; he knew why Remus was less than thrilled to be awake.

"It's Saturday," Sirius announced. He sank down further on Remus's bed, sinking his shoulders into Remus's extra pillow. "So we really don't have to be up this early-" _is that true_, Remus thought, sarcastically; "-and I am _no_ morning person, but…I had a nightmare, well, an early morning-mare, and I didn't want to stay in my own bed."

"Afraid of the big, bad Hippogriff?"

"Yes, but not the wolf."

Remus rolled his eyes, which only made his head hurt. This was the day he had been dreading since…three months ago. The day he foresaw from the moment he read Lily's accusing statement.

The day he would have to parade around, in public, as Sirius Black's boyfriend.

Of course they weren't really putting on a parade; only Lily would have any idea about them. That is, if Lily _was_ the only person who thought of the two friends _like that_. For all Remus knew, the whole school could have had the same idea.

But, what Remus did know was that Sirius was going to push all the envelopes…and all his buttons; and that today would be the longest day of his life.

Remus looked at Sirius, whose restless eyes fluttered from Remus's face to Remus's bed hangings to Remus's feet and back again.

Sirius wasn't bad looking; Remus would admit that much. If he had to be anyone's boyfriend, he was happy it was someone he wanted. _Er_, might want, or could…want…what Remus meant was someone that was a friend that would make Remus feel as comfortable as pretending to be on a date with his best friend could feel. Yes. That's it. Remus closed his eyes.

"Don't go back to sleep before me, Moony!" Sirius reached out to Remus's shoulder and shook him. Sirius didn't even need to actually reach since they were in the same extremely small, single bed. The only reaching that could be done, was reaching for a way out. "Moony?" Sirius whispered, dragging his face over closer to Remus's. "Mooonnnneyyy?"

"Why do you think elongating my name ever works in getting me to do things for you?"

"Maybe because it _always_ works."

"What do you want?" Remus sighed. This conversation only stood as a reminder of what kind of day Remus was going to have. He wasn't going to wake up, have breakfast, go to Hogsmeade, spend money he didn't have, come back to Hogwarts and go to bed; no, no that would be just way to easy of a day. Remus's day had to have afflictions and complications sewed in so that there would be nothing easy about it.

"I want you to not go back to sleep," Sirius whispered.

"But, I'm tired."

Sirius let out a long, unnecessary sigh across Remus's nose. If Remus sneezed bogeys and brains all over Sirius's hair, he wasn't at fault. "So, Moony," Sirius said. "I might have a problem."

Now Remus wanted to sigh. Why did he have to play therapist to Sirius constantly? Remus had enough problems of his own. Remus had a fool-proof way to stop Sirius from whining though. If Sirius came over to him, complaining about a paper cut, Remus would simply say "I'm a werewolf" and Sirius wouldn't say anything else about his tiny wound, or whatever his issue was. That statement was the only good thing about Remus's disease; of course there were literally only a handful of people who he could say it to without them calling the Ministry, so it really wasn't used that often.

"You see, Moony," Sirius picked up. "There's this girl. Sixth year. Gryffindor. I think her name is…it's like Amelia or something, anyways, she's hot. And…I was thinking of ditching you for her."

"Blunt," Remus said. He wanted to pretend that he was hurt, but only on a sarcastic level; which was hard given the fact that he oddly really did feel hurt.

"Just thought I'd let you know in case I decide to-"

"Sirius?" Remus flopped onto his side, facing Sirius, and propped his head up with his elbow.

"Yes?"

"Why do you always come to _my_ bed?"

Remus could see Sirius's shadowy face twitch slightly. "I like talking to you," Sirius said in a low whisper.

"But, what about James? Why don't you go to his bed?"_ Why do I feel the need to interrogate him about this?_ Remus didn't know why he cared all of a sudden, but, all of a sudden he really cared about knowing what it was about _him_.

"James is like my brother."

"And I'm not?" Remus whispered back.

"You're more like a cousin, Moony," Sirius said, with a strange wave of affection.

"What you do with your family, Padfoot, is nothing I want to know about." Sirius laughed into his hands, shaking Remus's bed. Remus smiled. He just thought of a great paper to write; Pure-blood Families and Their Incestual Relationships. Then Remus thought of something even more disturbing. "I would ask you why you didn't go to Wormtail's bed, but, you know, ew and all of that."

"Right on." There was a tight moment of silence. The two boys stared off into their own spaces, thinking of two many things at once. "So, Moony, that Jennifer. Hot."

"I thought you called her Amelia?"

"I might have the name wrong." Remus shook his head. Sleep, glorious sleep was calling to him again. "She has legs to kill over. Really! And you know how I appreciate long legs."

"So the stories go," Remus said. He hid a rather large yawn with the back of his hand. "But, you know, Padfoot," Remus began. "If you do really like her, or even just have a slight appreciation for her, don't let me, and James's fake date, stand in your way. Pursue all you want." This was the opportunity Remus was hoping would pop up. A way to get out of this entire mess and return to his normal existence of simply existing. All he would need to do is push Sirius towards, who ever this girl that wasn't _him_ was. Remus closed his eyes again. It was the morning, the early, early, befuddled morning, that was making him think such odd things.

"Lie still," Sirius said, suddenly. "On your back."

Of course, getting Sirius to listen to Remus's words was a big task all its own. "Should I be nervous?" Remus asked, as he followed Sirius's direct orders.

"No, just..." Sirius started wiggling, and scrunching, until his body was lying straight next to Remus's. "There!" Sirius proclaimed.

Remus wanted to close his eyes. He really wanted to close them and re-open them and not be lying next to Sirius, with all there body parts…touching. "Sirius, what are you doing?"

"I just wanted to see…Yep! Knew it! My legs are longer than yours."

"You being taller than me might have something to do with that."

Sirius sighed. "Don't be all upset because you're not my perfect woman anymore."

A sharp, searing white pain ripped through Remus's head, or Sirius's voice felt like a sharp, searing white pain ripping through his head. Either way, something was making his head hurt and Remus knew Sirius had everything to do with it. Then again, Sirius was just being normal; as normal as Sirius Black could be. It was just that Sirius's "normal" actions were being magnified under the fact that Lily thought that those actions meant a thousand other things, and now Remus couldn't help but see that also.

"Sirius," Remus said, but stopped. "Sirius, what was your nightmare about?"

Remus could feel Sirius's shoulders rise and fall, and Sirius's head move side to side. "It doesn't matter," Sirius said.

"It does," Remus retorted.

Sirius's head shook again, but this time fell farther to his right; closer to Remus's. "My mum," Sirius whispered so quietly Remus felt like Sirius's voice was in his own head.

Remus's head tilted towards Sirius's; he knew what horrible words were coming. "What did she do?" Remus asked just as softly as Sirius spoke.

"She Adava Kadavra-ed me."

Why was it that whenever Remus was ready to push Sirius and his eccentrically touchy behavior as far away as possible, Sirius had to come and remind him why he was that way; and steal a tiny piece of Remus's rather large heart.

Remus's hand, on its own accord so Remus wished to believe, stretched out over Sirius's hand, patting the soft skin in a comforting beat. "Today's our big date," Remus said, going for the old completely change the subject tactic. "Got plans for James lined up? Maybe I should be aware of them. So I could stop the really dangerous ones."

"Oh, Moony! Just you wait." Sirius paused. Remus could hear a very audible swallow, before Sirius's low toned whisper started up again. "Moony? You're not going to be all weird on me today, are you?"

Remus's head immediately flopped to the side, to look at Sirius. "And that's supposed to mean?"

Sirius sighed, furrowing his eyebrows. "I just…I don't want to make you uncomfortable, or angry, or sad, or disappointed, or scared, or…any number of things really. But, you're all I've got and…I just want you to know that…this is all for fun, and I won't let it get out of control."

Remus looked back straight up at his canopy. Quite suddenly he felt empty, and he wasn't sure why, or he was sure but wouldn't even admit why to his own self. "Thanks Padfoot."

"Oh, I forgot to tell you! I've picked out your outfit!"

"My…my outfit?" Remus's stomach plunged to his ankles. He wasn't expecting to get dolled up for this. James was lucky that he was even going along. He, in fact, was still planning on trying to deter a very undeterable Sirius.

"Of course, Moony!" Sirius sat up and leaned over Remus, straddling his torso with his arms. His face hovered dangerously close to Remus's. "No boyfriend of mine is wearing corduroy."

Remus allowed a misplaced smile to cross his frowning features. The time was not even 6:15 a.m. yet…and it had already begun. "It" being the universal word for this disastrous day. But, it was Sirius; should he expect anything less but glamoursly disastrous?

"It's either leather or nothing, Moony."

_Oh, yes_, Remus thought as he pushed a laughing Sirius off of him. This day was going to be one of a kind.

* * *

James thought that, if it was a sport, he could compete internationally as an Olympic spitter. His gracefulness while drooling was alone something to be awed over.

But, then again, when one was in such a mood as James Potter, then they too would think that any action was top of the line, and Olympic worthy perfection.

Today was the day James had been waiting for, for…seven years! The day he would be on a date, even a quasi one where he'd be basically lying the entire time, with Lily. His Lily. Evans! James spat into the washroom sink. Yes, today would be a gloriously perfect day.

James had spent the past hour practically scrubbing a layer of skin off. Thinking back, a thirty minute shower might have been a grave mistake. He did succeed in washing off years worth of Quidditch dirt, but he had made his entire body very prematurely wrinkly in the process.

James dragged his raisiny fingers down his equally raisiny, but muscular nonetheless, chest and shrugged.

It wasn't like he was going to be naked on his date. Lily was far from being that kind of lady. Lily was Olympic goddess worthy; though they might have been more inclined towards nudity then most beings.

James leant forward closer to the mirror, and examined his teeth, his pores, his nose hairs, pulling his nostrils up towards his eyebrows.

"Attractive. I can see why Lily would want to date you."

"Pete! Quick, come here!"

Quick to Peter meant some kind of waddling jog, but eventually he made it to the washroom sink.

"Look," James said, and shoved his nose into Peter's eyes.

"Oh. My. Gods."

"So, it's true." James released his hold on his nose, and hung his head in depressing defeat.

"Listen, Prongs. The last think I ever want to be is mean to you, but…maybe you should do something about your abnormal amount of nose hair."

James held one pruiny finger up in front of Peter's face. "No spells. Nope, nope, none. The last thing I need is braided nose hair."

Peter saluted. "Aye, aye."

"You're a good man, Pete," James said, patting Peter on the shoulder. "My nose hair issue will be our little secret."

"Good," Peter said. He leant forward to face the mirror, and examine his own, not wildly out of control, frock of nose hair. "Because Moony and Padfoot have secrets and so I was thinking that we should have secrets to balance things out."

James squinted his eyes at Peter. "What do you suppose their secret's about?"

Peter shrugged. "Something canine-y." Peter knew what James wanted to hear; it could only be one of two choices. And Peter quickly decided that for James's own good, he would play aloof. If playing aloof was an Olympic sport, Peter would be an international star.

"You know Lily still- _ahem_."

Peter attempted to raise his eyebrow, but since he wasn't even close to being the kind of person who could raise their eyebrow and look cool while doing it, his eyebrow just kind of vibrated and moved a quarter of nothing. "Lily still, what?"

"Lily still…has an hour to cancel." And now James had succeed in making himself worried, because, up until that moment, he forgot that Lily could still turn around and say "Ew. Gross. Date? I don't think so."

"Prongs," Peter said, exasperatedly. "Look at you!"

"Yeah?"

Peter blinked. "I don't know where I was going with that."

"Do something productive and smell my arm pit." James lifted his arm into the air, and tried to stick his nose into his arm pit. Peter, who has no mind of his own, (he'd even admit that, half the time), stuck his own nose into James's arm pit.

"Hmm," Peter said. "I'd say a little more deodorant would be better."

"What on Earth am I witnessing?"

Peter and James lifted their noses towards the door. Sirius was there, leaning with that pureblood casualness, against the frame. "Don't pay me any mind," he said. "I'm starting to think that someone's slipping some kind of queer potion into our juice at breakfast."

James narrowed his eyes. "Why? Who else is acting…queer?" James had his suspicions, but he'd rather pretend they were false. Not that he'd care if his best friend was like that, but he would care! Who else would appreciate a conversation about boobs if not his best mate, Sirius Black? But James didn't want to question him today. It would be better not to agitate Sirius on a day that James needed him to be his usual "hands-all-over" self.

Sirius came into the bathroom, and grabbed his tooth brush. "Well, obviously me and Moony. You know…that whole Lily _thought_ we were _lovvverrrsss_?" Sirius let out his patented bark laughter, before shoving his toothbrush into his mouth.

James shook his head and continued going over his appearance with a fine tooth comb. He knew his personality was a lost cause, so maybe he could win Lily with personal grooming alone.

"Padfoot?" James asked, once Sirius was through rinsing. Peter started busying himself with shaving, but was listening with apt trained ears. "You're my best mate, right?"

"Bestest…use bestest, because it's not a word and it makes Moony's veins pop."

_Ignore_, James screamed in his head. "Anyways…will you do me a favor?"

"Anything."

"Tell me if I have some sort of odor. Because I keep smelling this, like, foul, peppery scent, and…it's not good."

"I'm not sticking my nose in your pits."

James's face recoiled in shock. "What? You've stuck your nose in _other places_ before!"

"I was Padfoot."

"Not that one time."

"Ouch!" Peter's hand went straight for the new gash under his chin, where he snagged his razor.

"See what happens when you listen in on conversations?" Sirius warned, as if he made Peter's razor cut him. "Prongs, I stuck my nose in your ass because we were testing to see if I had dog powers when I was mortal."

"Oh, that's right," James said, laughing. James focused his eyes on Sirius, watching as he slung his toothpaste foamed spit from one cheek to the next. He looked like a chipmunk; and just as ridiculous. "Padfoot?"

Sirius spat into the sink, and smiled. He too had Olympic worthy spitting ability. "Yes, Prongs my boy?"

"It's Evans."

Sirius huffed and grabbed Peter's freshly cleaned razor.

"Evans!" James grabbed Sirius arm. "She smells like sweet oranges and fresh ink. All the time. She'll know that if there's a sudden odor, it stemmed from me."

Sirius sniffed the air. "Less mousse."

"That's all?"

"Change your socks!" came a fierce voice from the next room.

"You heard the nose," Sirius said, bobbing his head towards where Remus's voice originated from.

"But," James said. He looked down at his feet. "If they're stuffed in shoes, how's anyone going to even know they smell?"

"Even I think that's disgusting," Peter piped up. "And I wear the same pair of pants every day."

Sirius turned towards his two friends. "This falls under the 'Just because we live together doesn't mean we have to know every detail about each other' category, that I'm quite fond of."

Peter stood in a strategically placed position behind James. "They're the only pants I like," he stated matter-of-factly.

"Doesn't change the fact that you fart in them, and then don't wash the fart out." Sirius pointed at Peter, with wanna-be wisdom. Peter stared back, and then sat down on the toilet because he was laughing too hard, and he didn't want to puncture anything.

There was something about today and Sirius that was making James want to pull his messy hair out. Normally, James would have laughed and repeated 'fart'. But, now he just wanted to slug Sirius for being grumpy for no reason.

"What, is your problem this morning?"

Sirius looked up at James with big curious eyes. "Nothing."

"Nothing?" James shouted. "You're being a prat. That's something."

Sirius dropped Peter's razor on the counter and turned to James. "Just because you're all first date jittery doesn't mean that I have to play bitch to all your requests."

James stared at Sirius. He, unnoticeably, was clutching the towel wrapped around his waist. His knuckles were turning fire red from the strain. James wanted to scream at Sirius, or at least come up with a clever retort…but, Peter beat him to it.

"Someone got up on the wrong side of Moony's bed this morning," Peter said with too much casualness. After the words left his mouth, his free hand rose to cover it. Peter's beady eyes turned to Sirius.

"I had a nightmare," Sirius stated. "And _Moony_ doesn't take every other word I say and make references to his own life with them."

"Are you calling me selfish?" James asked.

"Why, I suppose I am."

"That's it, Black! I'm-"

"Will you two stop arguing!" Remus barged in between Sirius and James. "Prongs, you still smell weird-" Remus stopped to run his hand through James's hair. "You didn't rinse." Remus held out his soapy hand to James.

"Oh," James turned to go back into the shower. He _was_ feeling uncharacteristically uncomfortable in the hair department. He guessed. Stupid Moony.

"Wormtail," Remus continued. "You're going to need a transfusion in a moment." Remus pointed to the cut on Peter's chin that was, for lack of better word, gushing blood. Peter fumbled for a tissue.

"And you," Remus said, pointing a long, dangerous finger at Sirius. "Come with me."

Sirius spun around on the spot, and began to follow Remus. "Wait," he said, halting. "Why am I…?" Sirius sighed, giving up trying to figure out why Remus's commanding voice made him obey to an absolute and continued walking into the dorm.

"Padfoot," Remus began, his voice softening to normal. Then Remus uttered the question which most followed Sirius's name: "What's the matter?"

Sirius rolled his eyes, and folded his arms. He looked into Remus's wide, caring blue-brown eyes and relaxed. "Everything Prongs says makes me…"

"Angry?"

"No." Sirius leaned closer to Remus. "Sad."

Remus bit his tongue, because there was a feeling rising through his body and he knew it was associated with laughter. "Why, Padfoot?" he managed to ask.

"Because! It's coming Moony. It's going to happen any day now."

Remus stared, open mouthed at Sirius. "What?"

"We're going to lose Prongs forever! To that stupid girl! My best friend will be her little love slave, and it's going to ruin my entire life!"

"I think you're being a little selfish." Remus, of course, didn't _think_ that Sirius was being a little selfish; he knew.

"It's already starting, Moony. He asked me to smell his armpit?"

"Well, you did stuck your nose-"

"That was an experiment."

Remus quickly noted the time. They had five minutes till breakfast, and he hadn't even showered yet. Remus looked back to Sirius, who was still standing with his arms crossed and his mouth frowning, staring at the suddenly interesting ground. Sirius's greatest talent was making Remus feel bad for him, it seemed.

"Sirius," Remus sighed, draping his arm around Sirius's neck, and grabbing his shoulder. Sirius grunted a response. "Prongs has always been quite obsessed with his appearance, you know that." Sirius grunted again. "And he's been in love with Lily forever…so he's nervous, wouldn't you be?" Sirius shrugged. Remus smiled. "So, just cut him a break. And you're not losing your best mate; he's not going to abandon you for Lily." Sirius didn't say anything, and Remus hoped that Sirius was buying all the false statements he just spat all over the atmosphere. James would abandon a job as King of the Universe for Lily, who was he kidding?

Remus shook Sirius slightly. "Are you ok, now?" Sirius grunted and shrugged. "How about when we get to Hogsmeade, I buy you a nice, big Lollypop?"

Sirius was quiet. Slowly he turned his head to look at Remus. "What flavor?" he asked in a low, pathetic voice, complete with an Olympic worthy pout. Remus laughed, making Sirius smile back. "Moony?" Sirius whispered. Remus leaned in closer.

Peter, who was standing incognito behind them in the shadowy corner by his bed, leaned closer too.

Sirius leaned closer to Remus. Their noses would bump if a gust of wind blew through them. Their breath mingled, joining together to make the air hotter than it should be. Remus felt odd; deep down to the pit of his stomach, which he could suddenly feel rattling down near his middle. He didn't know what was going on.

He wanted to find out.

"Moony?" Sirius repeated.

"Huh?"

"You're armpit smells."

Remus tore his arm away from the now barking with mad laughter Sirius. "I haven't taken a shower yet," Remus said, holding his arms tight to his sides. As soon as James stepped out of the bathroom a second later, Remus bolted inside, slamming the door. It was all that unneeded closeness that was making him uncomfortable. He guessed. Stupid Padfoot.

"Wormtail, you ok?"

Peter sprang to attention at James's questioning. "Yeah," he mumbled. Sometimes he wanted to curse his innate desire to snoop on everybody within ten meters of him. He wouldn't be so disappointed all the time. Peter really wanted to be the one to tell Lily that she was right. He wanted to be in her good graces; so that when she and James became inseparable, Lily wouldn't mind him tagging along occasionally. All Peter needed was to lose James; without James, Sirius and Remus would forget about him.

"Hey," James called, standing in front of his trunk, buttoning up his shirt. "Why can't you be with us in Hogsmeade, Pete?"

Peter sighed, and sat down on his trunk. "Tutoring."

Sirius whistled. "On a Hogsmeade trip? Bad luck there."

"I know," Peter nodded. "He's meeting me at the Three Broomsticks…hey! You guys'll be there, right?"

"I don't-"

"We'll be there," James cut past Sirius. "Yep. Three Broomsticks. Why wouldn't we be there? It's a place to get drinks, and I'll be thirsty. That's for sure. I'm thirsty now, actually. Thirst and I have a very familiar relationship."

"Breathe, Prongs," Sirius spoke up. He was standing by the door, waiting for the collective group to be ready to walk out. Remus was only on the second verse of Figaro. He'd be there for a while.

"What?" James said, prancing towards the door. "I'm just saying that I want to go to the Three Broomsticks."

"Don't you have to meet-"

"Yes."

"-Lily. You're not eager or anything, huh?"

James rolled his eyes. "Padfoot. I know you and-"

"Prongs," Sirius placed his hands on each of James's shoulders. "I don't like Lily, but I like you. I want to see you happy. You're my best mate, for life. You'll do fine on your…_date_. Just don't be yourself."

"Actually," James said, putting his own hands on Sirius's shoulders. "About that." Now that Sirius succeeded in stealing James's big heart and pity, James felt bad about lying. Maybe he should say something about it.

James heard the shower stop. "Hey! Moony's done! Let's wait for him downstairs."

Maybe not.

"Prongs." Sirius stuck his arm out to stop James from opening the door. "Are you sure that you want me and Moony on your…_date_?"

"For moral support," James nodded.

"Ah," Sirius replied.

Remus swept out of the washroom feeling refreshed. He caught Peter's eyes, and followed his head nod towards the door.

Sirius and James were standing with their foreheads pressed together. Their eyes were boring into the others, and their fists were clenched at their sides.

"Prongs…?" Remus called gently approaching the two, with Peter tagging behind him. "Padfoot…?"

Sirius and James were trying to read the other's mind. Sometimes they thought that it wouldn't be hard for them to accomplish. All they had to do was concentrate; and stand on top of each other.

There was a silence in the room. It was like the Olympics, where everyone waited in a hush to see if the tiny gymnast would pull off the triple-flip-a-whatever-it's-called.

"I got nothin'," Sirius finally said. "Next time I'll tell you what I'm thinking, and then you try to read my mind, and then you'll know what to listen for."

"Alright," Remus said, reaching for the door handle. Remus didn't understand, and never would, how Sirius and James could have the highest marks ever, but then spew nonsense and fall apart over the word 'fart'. "Let's all go have breakfast, and vitamins, and brain cells." Remus was going to need them.

Sirius stopped Remus at the door. "Hey, Mister!" Sirius whispered. He looked down at Remus's legs. "Where's the leather pants? And…a sweater, Moony! Now I can't possibly call you my _pretend_ boyfriend?"

"Sirius," Remus said. "Good." _Oh, yes_, Remus thought as he pushed a laughing Sirius away from him. This day was going to be one of a kind.


	11. Think Again

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Look! It's only been like three weeks since my last update! I'm so proud of myself! Lol! Anyways, I want to send big Thank Yous to EVERYONE who left a review! I planned on thanking everyone personally but something happened to my email, and blah blah blah, I didn't get to do that...but THANK YOU all SO much! And this chapter is a fun one...heehee...

* * *

"So." 

"Yeah, _ahem_, so."

"Um…so."

"_Knit_!" Sirius shouted, bursting out into a thousand tiny tremors of giggles.

This had been the most awkward fifteen minutes any four people have ever spent together in the history of fifteen minutes any four people have ever spent together.

James kept looking at Lily and sighing and then looking at Sirius and Remus and scowling. Lily kept fiddling with the straw of her butterbeer, and sneaking glances at James. Sirius kept reaching over to touch Remus's thigh, and then laughing because of the insanity of the whole thing. And Remus kept pointing to his knife and giving Sirius _You Know Where This Will Be If You Don't Stop_ eyes.

And no one said one word.

James laughed with Sirius. Then coughed, took a sip of his butterbeer, coughed again, and said: "So." James couldn't understand, for the life of him, why talking had become the hardest activity in the world. He should be a waterfall of words at this table. He's sitting with his two best mates, and his favorite person in the entire universe; there should be no awkward pauses.

But, this wasn't just an outing with friends. It was a date, a double date, a fake double date that was going so horrible James almost wished someone would come and shoot him and put him out of his misery.

"Sirius!" Remus squealed angrily. Sirius's hand had slipped a little too far to the left; hopefully on accident. By the way Sirius was smirking like he just found gold, it probably wasn't.

"I'm sorry, _Moon-pie_," Sirius cooed, stroking back Remus's hair. Sirius's legs were shaking as he tried to repress his laughter. He was having way too much fun. There were butterflies and electricity, and every time he made Remus squirm with aggravation he got more and more amused by the whole thing. So he was making Remus squirm with aggravation at every chance he got.

Then Lily giggled, watching them, and Sirius's smirk faded because he forgot that she, that James, that a world, was there. And that fact was horrifying.

"Sirius?" Lily asked, leaning over the table to look at Sirius. "Are you sick? You look pale."

"Fine," Sirius shouted, hiding his face from Remus. He tried to scoot a little away from where he was before; which was practically in Remus's lap. He only succeeded in bumping into a disgruntled hag at the table next to him. "When did this place get so busy?" Sirius commented.

"It was this busy when we came in," James said.

Sirius looked around. "I distinctly remember there being less people then."

"Nope," James said, shaking his head.

"We almost couldn't get a table," Lily added.

Sirius stared at his butterbeer. "I don't remember that. I remember walking in and _Moony_ saying 'Oh this place is…so…_ahem_, crowded, what were we talking about?" Sirius took a frantic sip of his drink.

James, Lily and Remus all stared at Sirius with apprehensive-slash-terrified looks. "What on Earth is wrong with you?" James asked.

Sirius had no clue. He looked over to Remus. Maybe he did have somewhat of an idea about what could possible by wrong with him buried deep down in that place where Sirius locked all thoughts that he didn't agree with.

As Sirius sat in thought, another awkward pause settled on the group.

"So," Lily said, looking up at James. James smiled at Lily.

"Oh, not this again," Remus groaned. "We almost had conversation. It was a pointless, very confusing conversation. But, it was something." Remus locked eyes with James. "So there."

James leaned over to Lily. "Looks like we hit a nerve."

Lily smiled. "I guess Remus doesn't know conversation when he _doesn't see it_." Lily emphasized her words be dipping her head down and looking directly into James's eyes; which was a little hard to accomplish with the glare in his glasses. Nevertheless, it had the same heart-melting effect on James that she, reluctantly, wanted. Even though on a brief occasion it made Lily sick to think that she caved in to James Potter, he was really starting to grow on her.

James tried to push down his blush. He opened his mouth. There were words on the tip of his tongue, he knew it; there had to be. Why weren't any coming out? Only butterbeered scented air steamed out of his mouth. Where was his charm? Where was his charisma? They've decided to abandon him, obviously. To not prolong the intensely uncomfortably stare down, James sat back in his chair and busied himself with mussing his hair up.

"Lily," Remus called, getting the redhead's attention. Remus was in dire need of sentences and some kind of concrete topic. Lily seemed, to him, like the only person at the table capable of speech at the present moment. "How is Ancient Runes going? I miss it."

"Oh! We're actually doing this project that made me think of you because…"

"Pads!" James hissed. "Padfoot."

Sirius was staring intently at Remus with his eyebrows knitted.

"Padfoot! Sirius!"

"What?"

"What? Why are you staring at Moony?"

"I, he, um…what do you want?"

James leaned closer to Sirius, and pouted. "I'm tanking."

Sirius rolled his eyes. "No you're not."

Remus and Lily burst out into a raucous laughter, both tipping their heads back. James groaned. "Look! Moony's having a better time with her!"

"That's just because Moony is witty and interesting…and you're…not."

"Thanks, Sirius," James dead-panned. "Let it be known throughout the land that Sirius Black is a big help."

"What are you two ladies whispering about?" Lily asked, loudly, pointing her little finger at James and Sirius.

"Not-"

"Sirius was complaining to me about your hogging of his bo-Remus, his Remus. So…um, so."

Lily raised one eyebrow and patted James's head. "I'm sorry, Sirius. Remus is just so witty and interesting." Lily smiled at Remus, who smiled back and bowed his head down in blushing humility.

Something sharp and stinging flew through Sirius's stomach and he suddenly wanted to hurt someone. Maybe Lily. Probably Lily.

Sirius locked eyes with Remus. Remus smiled and rolled his eyes, bobbing his head towards Lily. "You know who's even more witty and interesting than my _bo-Remu_s?" Sirius said, rolling his own eyes at James's awful cover-up.

"Who?" Lily challenged.

Sirius looked at James. James's eyes were pleading. He needed help. He needed that moral support that he was talking about before. "No one," Sirius said, smiling. "Moon-pie is definitely the most interesting." Once a trouble-maker, always a trouble-maker.

"Sirius?" Remus said, through clenched teeth. He was smiling like an escaped convict, trying to suppress his still raging anger.

"Yes, love?"

"Call me Moon-pie again and I will have no problem with hurling you across this room."

James leaned over to Lily again. As his head moved, he just then noticed her hand still hovering above his head, the pads of her fingers touching the very tips of his hair. James swallowed back his howling elation and drool. He had to remember that every time Lily touched him was a good time to say something to her, and not jump up onto the table jigging himself into a frenzy. Something about that much happiness would probably be a turn-off for the redhead.

"Did you want to say something to me James?" Lily asked. "Or are you just counting how many freckles I have on my ear." Lily turned her head, and brought it back so she could look at James, and not smack him in the face with her nose. _That boy has no tact_, she though to herself. Lily's gone on six dates since she's been at Hogwarts, and not one of them had this much bizarre staring. Lily glanced over to the other two members of her party. Even they were staring…in opposite directions. Before Lily could ponder what that meant, she saw Remus's eyes roll over to look at Sirius; and then she knew what that meant. "Because if you are counting my freckles," Lily picked up. She had to push James back a little, to put his face into focus. "We're going to be stuck together for a year."

"Or longer," James managed to get out; without a girly, squealy, I Just Hit Puberty voice. _Definitely longer_, James thought. He wasn't going to stop his freckle counting at her ear. Lily's shirt was parted in a V, and those freckles went on forever.

Lily smirked. "Oh, you think so, huh?"

"Look, Padfoot," Remus whispered in Sirius's ear. "They're talking."

"Then why are we here?" Sirius was really getting mad. He was expecting snide remarks about him and Remus from James that would make him wild and mad, and there were only two. The one where he almost called Remus Sirius's boyfriend, (which didn't count as a remark, frankly); and the other was when they met Lily at The Three Broomsticks and James said to Lily, (but his nerves kept him from whispering), "They won't be here too long. They like to sneak off together, and _you know_, before we have to return". No more was said, and Sirius felt like this whole thing was an awful waste of time.

"Where else would we be?" Remus asked. He was starting to feel a little sad. Peter was off with someone, his tutor, but at least he wasn't by himself. James was with Lily, (whether they talked to each other or not) and Sirius, who was supposed to be with him, wanted to leave him. To probably find that girl. Who he didn't even know the name of! Remus pinched his leg to remind himself that Sirius wasn't really with him, he didn't really _want_ Sirius to be with him, and he needed to stop thinking immediately. And none of that was happening anytime soon.

Sirius looked around the room. Then turned to Remus. "Honeydukes?"

"What?"

"We would be at Honeydukes because we would have came here, saw how crowded it was, you would have complained about you're fear of crowds, which I know you're struggling with right now, and you're doing good, but if it was just us, we would have left and gone to Honeydukes and then we would have came here when _everyone_ _else_ went to Honeydukes, so that way we could then have our own table and Rosemerta would be all ours, so I could flirt with her and get you free drinks."

Remus didn't move, breathe or blink for a whole second. "That was the longest sentence I've ever heard." But, it was a nice one, Remus couldn't help but thinkning. And something in his mind fell, and he smiled, despite himself.

"Did I hear free drinks?" James asked. Remus and Sirius tore their eyes away from each other.

"No," Sirius said.

Lily started tapping her empty butterbeer with the fork next to her. "It sure would be nice to have another drink," she sighed, winking at Remus.

James leapt from his seat. "Be right back, dear lady. Padfoot, shake your tail!" James moved carefully between the table and the hag next to them, and pulled on Sirius's sleeve to make him get up.

Sirius growled, and slid down his chair. "Want one Moony?"

Remus looked into his bottle. "I could use a filler."

Sirius laughed and ruffled Remus's hair. "A simple yes would have taken less seconds."

"Now _you're_ wasting seconds," James shouted, pushing Sirius ahead of him.

Remus watched Sirius leave for a second longer than he intended, with his hand pulling unconsciously at his hair. His eyes slowly shifted to the right, and connected with the emerald ones next to him. Lily smiled brightly. _Knowingly._ And Remus didn't like that at all.

"Thanks for coming, Remus," Lily said, with a sweetness that made Remus feel sick. Remus shrugged one shoulder and bowed his head slightly. "And dragging Black, I can tell there are ten other places he'd rather be." Now Lily's voice took on an annoyed bite. Remus could suddenly see the future. Poor Sirius! Lily was going to rope in James, and pull him away from Sirius, probably to stop the influence. Sirius would be all alone! Sirius would….Sirius would cling to Remus like a starfish and then Remus would never be able to find the line in their friendship again. All edges were about to blur.

"Sirius…Sirius likes to do things his way and…he…"

"You don't have to explain anything for him, Remus," Lily jumped in. "Listen. _I know_."

"No you don't."

"I have eyes, Remus. I can see. I know."

"You might think you know," Remus said, swallowing the bile that rose in his throat. If Lily said, "I know. James told me" then Remus would feel slightly more at ease. This would all be James's doing and that at least kept him in the clear, mentally.

But, Lily said "I have eyes" which meant a whole other thing. And once again Remus felt pigeonholed, confused and questioning. Lily saw things; that had to be there.

"I don't want to argue with you, Remus," Lily said, sitting back. Her head lifted towards the bar. "What's taking them so long?"

* * *

"James, stop crying!" 

"I can't!"

"This is the complete opposite of being manly," Sirius whispered. He looked up, and down the bar. "Rosemerta's watching!" he groaned. "Now you've ruined my every reason to come in here. Now she thinks we're a couple of poufs."

"Sirius," James said, bringing his tear streaked face up from where it was squashed in his elbow. "She probably already does." Sirius narrowed his eyes. "I can't believe I'm blowing this date," James wailed, before Sirius could tear his throat out.

Sirius really, really wanted to make a rude comment about blowing. It was there; ready to zoom out and make his day. But a small voice, which sounded just like Mr. Remus Lupin, pointed out the complete inappropriateness of that; so he held it in. "Prongs. You just need to relax! Be yourself. Forget what Lily's thinking. I have." No he hadn't, not for one second.

"I don't know what to do," James sniffed. "I'm lost. We're talking about Lily Evans. She's a totally different breed of woman."

"Maybe she isn't a woman," Sirius teased, or tried to sound like he was teasing. "You don't even know what a woman is anyway."

"Oh," James huffed, sneaking an obvious glance back at the spot over yonder where Remus's head was. "And you do?"

Sirius pretended to shine his fingernails against his chest, and winked at Rosemerta; who coincidentally wasn't even paying attention. "I'll let you know that I've had plenty of experice in that field, thank you."

James looked up at Sirius with bright eyes. Eyes of idea. James liked to brag about his great talent of coming up with ideas. He was a fountain of them. He was an architect.

Sirius was a lady's man, James knew it. Sirius had more girlfriends than anyone else. Of course, instead of helping Sirius's _straight_ case, it almost exploded it right up. Little known fact, Sirius's longest relationship lasted a month and they broke up over his mysterious weekend disappearance; which happened around a full moon, no less.

But, Sirius had had plenty of girlfriends. Plenty of opportunity. Plenty of advice. And that's exactly what James needed; someone to follow.

"Padfoot," James cooed. "My dear, dear Padfoot."

Sirius raised one perfectly arched eyebrow. "You're drunk off your own despair, aren't you?"

"Will you help me?"

"Help?"

"With Lily," James pointed out. "Help me on this date. Help me salvage something. Show me what to do!"

"Show?"

James nodded. "Yes. You'll do something and then I'll copy you, but on Lily!"

Sirius inhaled. "And I suppose I don't even need to wonder who _I'll _be doing something to?"

"Moony won't mind, if it's to help me out!" James cupped Sirius's face with his two callused hands, and brought his own face inches away; to make his point clear. "If this date is a failure…Lily will never go out with me again! No matter what nonsense I spew at her!"

"And what nonsense have you already spewed?" Sirius managed to ask with his cheeks squashed together.

"Never you mind. Will you do this for your best mate for life?" James asked, his eyes big pools of hopefulness.

Sirius knew he was damning himself. He knew Remus would not like this one bit. But Sirius can't say no. And he didn't.

"Alright," Sirius spat. He grabbed two butterbeers from the bar. "Follow me." Sirius started to walk away, but then stopped and turned to look back at James. "Grab Lily's," he sighed, nodding his head back towards the bar, where one, lonely butterbeer was sitting.

"Oh," James said, he bent back to grab the bottle.

"Prongs," Sirius said, facing James. "You're smart. How many times have you've proven the strength of your brains? Now I'm not trying to inflate your ego, all I'm saying is that you have brains. So use them."

"I'm-"

"Nervous," Sirius finished. "Don't be. For the love of everything holy, _act normal_."

James nodded, and he and Sirius made their way back to the table.

Remus's legs were shaking. He couldn't take it anymore. Lily looked like she was about to implode if she didn't start questioning him, and then what was he going to do? Lie and make James a happy man, or tell the truth and finally let go of that breath that he'd been holding?

Luckily for him, Sirius and James returned, momentarily capturing Lily's attention.

"Here," Sirius said, his face frowning.

Remus looked at his butterbeer, and then looked at Sirius. "No way. I want yours."

"What?"

"What did you do to this? I can see that look in your eyes."

Sirius sighed. "Moony! Why would I poison you?" Remus shrugged, making Sirius laugh. "Look." Sirius grabbed Remus's butterbeer and took a big gulp. "Now we're both going down," he said. Remus smiled.

"James!"

Sirius and Remus snapped their attention to Lily, who was staring at James with her mouth hanging open.

James was staring at Sirius, with Lily's butterbeer still lingering in front of his mouth. Sirius rolled his eyes, and shook his head at James. Lily grabbed James drink, and downed it, smirking with satisfaction.

"Am I missing something?" Remus whispered to Sirius.

"Don't worry," Sirius whispered back. "You'll find it soon enough."

* * *

Remus stomped through the path leading from The Three Broomsticks back to Hogwarts with his brow unmistakably furrowed. Sirius walked next to him, trying to send worrisome glances towards his friend. James and Lily trailed behind, a mixture of the two feelings. James, though, was keeping his eyes on Sirius; for some reason, still ready to copy everything the boy did. 

Back at The Three Broomsticks, Sirius did "date things" on Remus, to give James an idea of how to act. To Sirius's surprise, and pride, it actually worked.

Sirius had placed his hand on Remus's back, and leaned in to whisper…nonsense. James did the same to Lily. And whispered something about the weather, as mortifying as that may be, because he couldn't hear what Sirius was saying.

Sirius engaged in a conversation with Remus about…nonsense. James did the same with Lily. They talked about what their next meeting with the prefects should be about. James wanted to fall asleep.

Sirius laughed at something Remus said, that wasn't really funny at all but made Sirius peel back in giggles anyways, and hugged him. James did the same, though Lily's comment about her stomach hurting lacked in any real humor. Lily looked more surprised than anything, but melted into the hug just the same. James was ecstatic.

The cycle continued. Over and over. Until Remus caught on. Sirius was getting pretty sick of having to apologize all the time.

"I'm _sorry_," Sirius hissed again. "He made me. Man, I sound like Wormtail."

"You just could have told me," Remus remarked, with an icy flair. "I feel…used. I'm always used."

"What does that mean?" Sirius spat at him.

"Nothing. Nothing, I just don't like this whole thing. We shouldn't be lying to Lily. _James_ shouldn't be lying to Lily." Remus had had enough. He wanted his old life back. His life of ignorance and prose and of being happy; he used to be happy. Now he was a whole mess of things, and the foremost was anger.

"That's James's problem," Sirius said. "Moony! I was just helping Prongs out. He wanted me to show him what moves to make on Lily. How could I tell him no? You're such a drama queen!"

"Me?" Remus asked, stopping in his tracks. "Who's the one that whines _all the time_? _Paaaaddddfoooot?_"

Sirius faced Remus. "Are you making fun of me?" he challenged. Sirius had had enough. It was one thing to be mad, to feel taken advantage of. It was another to become a complete cad about the whole thing. Remus needed to lighten up. Sirius felt his blood-boiling just looking into Remus's eyes.

&&

James stopped walking, following what Sirius was doing, and called out to Lily. Lily turned to look at him. "Yes?" Lily asked, in a still voice.

&&

"Yes," Remus said, bluntly. "I'm making fun of you."

"Well, then…who am I?" Sirius cleared his throat. "Oh! I'm a," he lowered his voice to an inaudible caliber; "-werewolf." Sirius cleared his throat again. "I don't like labels. I don't like people talking about me. Oh! Leave me alone so I can brood!"

"I don't brood!"

&&

"So, Lily…I'm glad we, that you agreed to, to go out with me," James said. He wasn't sure what was going on between Sirius and Remus, he couldn't hear a word, barely see their faces. James did know that standing in complete gawking silence with the woman of his dreams was a wrong path to venture down, and he really, really wanted to kiss her. James became comfortable with the fact that he would have to make his move all on his own. Sirius wasn't going to go that far.

"James," Lily said, smirking. "_I_ asked _you_ out."

"No you didn't."

&&

"You don't brood?" Sirius laughed. "And I'm not an heir."

"You're not," Remus laughed back. "Or did someone forget they got the boot?" Even Remus was taken surprise by himself. This wasn't like him at all. He would never say something like that to a friend; especially Sirius! Remus wanted to take it back, he really did. But, just looking at Sirius's face made something surge through him and he decided Weird, Angry Remus can play a little longer.

&&

"Well, James," Lily pointed out. "You're half right. I didn't ask you out…but I _led_ you to ask me out."

James stared at her. "You just don't want to admit that I've finally gotten to you," he smiled.

&&

"Well, Moony," Sirius pointed out, stepping closer to Remus; electricity piping through his veins. "If anyone knows about not being accepted, it would be you!"

"You git!"

&&

"James Potter! I have not succumbed to any of your so called charms," Lily teased.

&&

"Yeah?" Sirius said, straightening his back, and glaring at Remus. "_You're_ an arsehole."

"Admit it Lily," James said, his eyes sparkling. Here. This was his moment. Cupid was flying over head; and he wanted to see someone kiss.

&&

"I hate you," Remus hissed, stepping even closer to Sirius, and looking up into his blurred gray eyes.

&&

"Never," Lily whispered. James smirked. Here it was. The moment he had waited for, wanted, since he first saw Lily sit down at the Gryffindor table seven years ago at their sorting. James's eyes flashed ahead to look at Sirius, hoping that he was watching.

But, he wasn't. _What's going on?_ James thought.

&&

"I hate you too," Sirius shouted, as he grabbed Remus collar and crashed their lips together.

&&

Thank Merlin for glasses. Or else James's eyes would have fell smack to the ground.


	12. Suddenly Realized

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.  
**

A/N: So here's what happened: Sirius and Remus kissed, time froze for a whole month, and, unless people have lost interest, here's what happened when the clocks started working again. In other words, I am beyond sorry that I made you all wait...and I am beyond grateful for all those reviews! You make puppies snog and people go crazy! lol! I hope everyone enjoys where this is going, and don't worry, this is just the beginning! Muwahahaha!

* * *

Remus loved silk. It was a special, secret indulgence that he had. He loved the feel of silk on his skin. The sight of silk in the sunlight. Remus loved that silk was spun. Not knitted, not sewn. _Spun_. 

Remus loved silk. And right now, he had his hands filled with clumps of silk, his fingers running through the luxurious strands. And it felt good. All over.

Then he opened his eyes.

The feeling of utter warmness was replaced by immediate panic. Suddenly Remus realized where he was. Suddenly Remus realized what had happened. Suddenly Remus realized that he was _kissing Sirius!_ Sirius was kissing him…but Remus was kissing Sirius back! And that was definitely not _his_ tongue that swiped the roof of his mouth.

Suddenly Remus realized that that wasn't silk clutched in his fist either.

* * *

Sirius had lost his mind. Literally. It had fallen asleep, or took a bathroom break. But, anyways, it left him, alone, to make his own decision. And he did. He kissed Remus. Because every word out of Remus's mouth, every draw of breath, every exhale, every eye blink, made tiny prickles of electricity buzz through Sirius. And if Remus was a girl, he would have kissed her. So he did. 

Sirius also suddenly realized that while his mind was busy rambling, his lips were busy still kissing Remus; and he didn't want to anymore.

Sirius pulled himself away from Remus, like he was the band-aid to Remus's paper cut. Immediately both boys' hands flew to cover their mouths. Their eyes bore into the others, saying everything that needed to be said and shouldn't be said all at once.

In one graceful, unified movement, Sirius and Remus spun on their heels and took off in opposite directions.

* * *

"James, you look like a deer caught in headlights." 

"I'm a stag."

"…what? James, are you alright?" Lily suddenly realized that she was angry. Molten rock angry. James was about to kiss her. She felt it coming. A psychic moment. James was going to kiss her. And she wanted him to. Oh, for the love of everything annoying, Lily wanted James to kiss her. The idea made her sick and elated at the same time. But, right now she was just angry. James was frozen in place; looking like he had never seen Remus and Sirius kissing.

Lily suddenly realized that James _had_ probably never seen Sirius and Remus kiss before, because Sirius and Remus had probably never kissed before. Lily would have normally been volcano mad now. Mad at James for lying. But, she just really wanted him to kiss her!

* * *

For a brief moment, James thought, believed, hoped that Sirius kissed Remus to show James what to do. Then James suddenly realized that Sirius and Remus were paying as much attention to him as they were to the fact that there were people besides the two of them on the planet at the moment. 

James didn't like seeing Sirius and Remus kissing. It meant too much. It changed too much. And it totally ruined his groove.

"Sorry, Lily," James mumbled once Sirius and Remus fled the scene.

"Are you?"

"Yeah. I…this date was awful, wasn't it?"

Lily lifted one thin shoulder. "I wouldn't say _awful_."

"What, you'd call it _horrific_?" James asked, with wide, suffering eyes.

"No," Lily laughed. "It's my fault, anyways."

"Yeah," James said. "This _is_ pretty much all _your_ fault."

Lily's mouth dropped open. James Potter. The same James Potter that worshipped every step she took, who drooled over every lost strand of hair. That same boy, now criticized her? Blamed her for something? Didn't fall over her with compliments? Lily snapped her mouth closed. She was impressed. And very much intrigued.

"I shouldn't have let you talk me into doing this."

"You didn't want to go out with me?" Lily asked, looking the part of the disappointed when inside she knew all to well.

Now it was James's turn to have his jaw rip away from his face. He reached out and grabbed Lily by the shoulders. "Are you mental?" he shouted. "I'd kill _Dumbledore_ to go out with you!" The pair laughed. Lily leaning forward towards James; James gripping Lily's shoulders. "Don't you know that by now?"

Lily smiled; a real genuine smile. "Yeah. I know."

James's spirits soared. He was being himself, for once, and at the oddest time. But, it had happened. And just as he felt the desired pull to kiss Lily again, he remembered what he witnessed the first time he had that feeling. "I have to go after Sirius," he said, standing back from Lily.

"Why?" Lily was prompting him. She knew she just saw the real James, now she wanted him to prove it.

James's hand was pulling at various clumps of his hair. "Because…I saw him fighting with Remus. Lover's quarrel. I'd better see-"

Lily cut James off with a loud sigh. James had failed. "Potter," Lily snapped, suddenly fueled once again by molten anger. "You'll never learn!" At that she stomped off with a fierce flick of red hair. Feeling angry, ashamed, stupid, and desperately disappointed.

James watched her leave, wondering what he had possibly done this time. Would he never get through to Lily? This was all Sirius's fault, James thought, and he bee-lined towards where he saw Sirius go before.

* * *

Sirius was sitting on the edge of everything, but mostly he was sitting on the edge of the Forbidden Forest; perched on a rock like a testy raven. 

He was chewing his hair. It didn't taste particularly good, but it did its job; which was covering up the way his lips felt swollen, and wet, and hot.

_Stupid Moony_, Sirius thought. _Stupid…Moony._ Sirius knew the truth, even if he did want to blame everything on _Stupid, stupid Moony!_ The truth being that _he_ kissed Remus. Remus may have inched closer, Remus may have provoked him, Remus may have confused him, but _Sirius_ pulled Remus to him, _Sirius_ shoved his tongue into Remus's mouth.

Sirius stuck his tongue out, and blindly began to grab at a hair that he felt hiding there. He tried to recall what it felt like to have Remus's tongue on his. He couldn't remember, and that made his stomach tighten queasily.

Because if it was a bad kiss…he would remember.

Finally grabbing the folic of hair, Sirius pulled it away from his quickly dehydrating tongue. _But_, Sirius thought. _If it was a good kiss, I would remember it too._ Maybe it was nothing then. Forgettable. Tasteless. Ordinary.

_Nope_, a voice in Sirius's head pointed out. _It was definitely good._

Sirius shook his head roughly, imitating Padfoot coming in from a bad rain storm. _It was only good because it was with Moony_, Sirius reasoned; which didn't make a lick of sense.

In Sirius's mind kissing James would be vomit worthy. James was his brother. His _soul_ brother. Kissing James would be like kissing himself. Kissing himself, a true identical version of himself, was actually Sirius's secret dream; if Sirius was standing in front of the mirror one day, and then suddenly his reflection stepped out from the glass, the first thing out of the non-creepy-mirror Sirius's mouth would honestly be "Let's go make out on my bed, now!"

Remus wasn't Sirius's soul brother. Though they were both canines, their relationship was more Alpha male and pack. They were _mates_.

"Aha," Sirius shouted, springing from his rock, and pointing towards the sky. "That's it! Padfoot! _Padfoot_ must want Moony! Padfoot made me kiss him!"

Sirius began to do a little impromptu jig, but then stopped abruptly, twisting his feet around each other. "Damn," he muttered. "I _am_ Padfoot." Sirius sank back down on the rock. Remus could blame the wolf because Remus isn't present when the wolf has taken over; the wolf has its own mind, absent of anything sounding like Remus Lupin.

Padfoot's mind is Sirius's mind. Sirius doesn't forget what's going on, or who he is when he's Padfoot. If Padfoot eats his poop, it's because Sirius thought it would be funny.

"This is the truth," Sirius said, addressing a row of ants that were climbing across his boot. "Moony, Remus, is weak. He's helpless, he's venerable. And I feel this need to watch over him, take care of him…be there for him. And he…Remus is always there for me. He listens to me. Helps me. Takes care of me. Hug…hugs me when I feel sad. Let's me snuggle up next to him at night when I feel scared…or lonely. And I guess…I guess I feel like Moony is my…mine." Sirius stopped talking. The ants went on, uncaring. "Does that mean I fancy Moony?" Sirius whispered.

Sirius knew he didn't fancy boys. It wasn't a matter of that. Sirius could never imagine wanting that. He was positive that he would pick a woman over any man, ever.

But, then there was Remus. Some where, during the millions upon millions of minutes Sirius had ever spent with Remus, at some point the lines surrounding Remus blurred; he wasn't boy, he wasn't wolf, he wasn't friend.

He was Remus.

A loud clapping sliced through Sirius's thoughts. Whipping around to see where the noise was coming from, Sirius saw James, best friend extraordinaire, strolling down the path that led from Hogsmeade, clapping like a band leader.

"Prongs…?" Sirius wasn't sure what was going on, but he knew it couldn't be anything sane.

"I. Can not. Believe. You. Kissed. Moony just to show me what to do!"

Sirius swallowed.

"You sly dog!" James plopped down next to Sirius on the rock. "Lily totally bought it."

"Did you kiss her?" Sirius asked, his voice softer than it's ever been.

"No, I was too busy being freaking out over you two."

"Sorry."

"You should be. You ruined my groove."

"I-"

"Was trying to help," James said, holding up his hands. "I-"

"James," Sirius sighed. His fingers snaked through his long black tresses. "Stop trying to rush over what happened."

James sighed too. "Pads…I mean, so you kissed Moony."

Sirius locked eyes with his best friend. Maybe this time he wouldn't be so thick and self-obsessed and he would actually understand. "I kissed him because I wanted to. It had nothing to do with you and Evans."

"I know," James said. "And so what? So, you kissed Moony! It's _Moony_ for Merlin's sake!"

Sirius's face lit up. "That's what I've been thinking. It's Moony. Like…you know? It's Remus!" Sirius was nodding his head, convinced that simply saying 'It's Remus' would be the only explanation needed.

James didn't seem to really get it, but if it ended the whole thing then he would gladly pretend that he did. "Yeah, and it's not like your going to do it again," James said, crossing his fingers in silent prayer.

Sirius sprang back like he was electrocuted. "Of course not!"

"And," James ventured forward. "It's not like you like men, now."

"Nooooo!" Sirius answered. "_Seriously_, Prongs," he added, when he noticed James was searching his face for any sign of lying. "You want to Veritaserum me?"

"That won't be necessary, best friend of mine. I believe you."

"So, things sink with Evans?"

"Pretty much." James drooped down into his lap. "It was going so well…you know _after_ the part where I was crying."

"And you think _I'm_ a pouf?"

James pushed him. "I was this close, Pads. She was putty! She was going to be mine…and then…you decided that the best place for your tongue was in Moony's mouth, and I froze."

"Sorry, again," Sirius muttered. Something in him wanted to right there reassure Prongs that he didn't fancy Remus. Instead he coughed.

"But," James continued. "After you two ran, she was all into me again! Like she didn't care, she wanted me to kiss her still, and then I _blew it_! And I don't know what happened, but she got all pissed and stormed off!"

"Birds," Sirius shrugged. James nodded, pathetically. "I think I need to try and get me one of those."

"What about Lily?"

Sirius stared at James. "You don't want her anymore?"

"You prat," James laughed. "I mean what about the lie? She'll know I was just trying to impress her by pretending my two friends are a couple, and that I'm really _not_ a great person who supports them."

Sirius stood up, and brushed off the back of his jeans. "Well, Prongs. I'll keep my _girl_friend on the low…but, I don't think Moony's going to want to continue this whole charade."

"No?" James stood up, and he and Sirius began their walk back to the school.

"You know how he gets," Sirius said. "I just hope he'll still be my friend," he added. _I'd miss him._

* * *

Remus wasn't sure how far he had walked until he blinked and realized that he was standing in the middle of his dorm. His fingers still tingled, his lips still tingled, and his mind was focused on one thing: 

About fifteen minutes ago, he had kissed Sirius.

Well, if one was to get into particulars, which was Remus's favorite thing to do, one would most definitely place Sirius as the kisser, and Remus as the kissee. But, that didn't negate the point that Remus kissed Sirius back.

He could have pushed him away. He could have bit his tongue and pushed him away. He could have not _bloody stepped closer to him and egged him on!_ Remus dragged his fingers down his face, pulling the skin of his cheeks down. With a snap, Remus let go of his face and jumped into his bed, pulling the curtains closed.

Remus was just as much to blame as Sirius, Remus had to admit. Right before, "the incident", Remus felt this buzzing vibe flying back and forth between himself and Sirius. He was mad at Sirius, they were fighting. They said they hated each other. _I guess it's opposite day_, Remus mused to himself. He managed a smile, but it dropped in a matter of minutes.

Countless of times before, Remus and Sirius would joke around, be overly touchy, sleep in the same bed! And not once before did Remus think that kissing Sirius was a good idea.

Of course, now…

Remus knew this was going to happen. He just knew it.

If someone told their friend that they looked good in purple, that person would subconsciously wear a lot of purple. They wouldn't be able to help it. The idea that they looked good in purple would be planted in their brain, would be thought about every time they bought clothes. They would begin to believe that, yes, they looked good in purple.

The same thing was now happening to Remus. Except instead of clothes, it was his friend. And instead of purple, it was Black.

Remus moaned and fell back against his pillows. _Why did I kiss him back?_ he mentally groaned, choosing to skip over the part where he had his fingers tangled in Sirius's hair.

_Sirius was probably just got caught up in the moment, or wanted to show James what to do. _Remus pursed his lips in aggravation at that gem of a plan. _Sirius will have a million excuses but I have none._

Remus sighed. _And I've probably ruined my greatest friendship on top of it._

Remus couldn't imagine Sirius still wanting to talk to him, let alone be his friend. _Sirius probably thinks I'm into men, now_, Remus thought; which wasn't true in the slightest.

Remus actually had, for the longest time, an all-consuming crush on Lily. It ended in fifth year, when James walked into the dorm and threatened them all if they tried to date Lily before he did. Remus of course didn't forget his crush, he just allowed it to fall to the side. He started dating a sweet Ravenclaw; but, with the full moon and all that being a werewolf business, it didn't last more than a week.

Remus couldn't see himself with a bloke. It just didn't make sense in his mind. Well, Sirius was a bloke, of course, but…he was different.

Sirius wasn't just his friend. He never was. Sirius was James's friend. They schemed together, fought together, played together, and laughed together.

When Sirius needed…more….he came to Remus. And Remus went to him, and it was their own special bond.

Remus sighed, and rolled over onto his side. He stared at his curtains, seeing past them to Sirius's bed, which was to the left of his own. That was all ruined now. _Stupid Lily_, Remus thought, now a little sick that he ever liked her. _Ruining lives where ever she goes. Ending life-long friendships that mean more than the world! _

Remus closed his burning eyes, feeling suddenly tired. He was grateful for one thing, however: that no one but James and Lily saw him kiss Sirius.

If they did, Remus would never be able to go to class tomorrow, and find himself a girlfriend.


	13. Trying to Remember

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.  
**

A/N: Hello, folks! Long time, no read! And I'm truly sorry! I started a new job, and training kept me busy. But, good news! I now do nothing but sit in front of a computer all day, and when I have absolutely nothing to do but stare into space...I get to write! So, unless I become lazy, updates should be uploaded must speeder than a month here, two months there.

Anyways, **thanks **to EVERYONE! who reviewed and read the last chapter. I had posted a one shot about Remus and Sirius. If anyone wants to check it out, click on my name. It's funny! And, before you read, I would like to remind everyone that no matter what happens in this chapter: this is still a will they/won't they fic!

* * *

Remus Lupin was the type of person that mornings loved. He woke up early. He was chipper. He didn't call morning names, or skip it entirely. Remus thought that mornings appreciated him. Remus thought that mornings were his friends. 

Remus thought wrong.

On this particular morning, (this being the morning after Remus was kissed by Sirius in Hogsmeade), everything that could possibly go wrong for Remus, did.

Sleep must have been an uneasy situation, given the circumstances, for when Remus woke up, he found his legs tangled and knotted in his sheets. Thrashing and pulling, Remus managed to get away from the cotton contraptions, but not before he twisted his foot around the corner of his blanket and promptly fell face first onto the cold floor.

Then Remus went to brush his teeth. Walking into the Seventh year Gryffindor bathroom, which was always an adventure in itself, Remus was greeted to the sight of seeing _his_ toothbrush taking its very own bath in the toilet. _Peter_, Remus thought. _Clumsy, disrespectful Peter. _Remus stared at the remaining three toothbrushes and grabbed the one that made the most sense. He already had Sirius's salvia in his mouth once; what's a little more?

Next on Remus's usual morning routine was a nice, hot shower. Remus was all soppy and ready to scrub the grime from his shaggy locks. He reached to his side to grab his shampoo, and instead of a full, heavy bottle, he pulled back a light, empty one complete with a soaking wet note. "I.O.U. love always, Sirius Black. P.S. - I can see your peepee." Remus growled and Accioed James's shampoo from the next stall.

After Remus became adjusted to smelling differently, he threw his robes on, discovered a new tear in the sleeve, growled for the fourth time that morning, and stomped down to the Great Hall.

Halfway down the stairs, Remus felt something damp on his leg. Looking down, Remus noted that there was an expanding squiggly circle of dampness on his robes, starting at the bottom of his pocket. Remus reached a clean hand into his pocket and pulled out an inky one. His quill burst. Sighing, Remus preformed a quick vanishing spell on his robes, so at least he didn't appear to have pissed himself. He managed to dry his hand, but the tips of his fingers were still unmistakably blackened. He would have to go quill-less throughout most of his classes.

Remus held his broken quill in his hand and felt like crying. It was his _favorite_. Ostrich feather, gray with tiny brownish diamond shapes on the tips; held so much ink, that Remus could write a foot of parchment, and not have to re-dip. That very quill was, coincidentally, the reason he read James's note those months back. Actually, it began the whole situation Remus now found himself in. Perhaps then, he can begin to love another. He unceremoniously dumped the quill into the next waste bin he passed.

After falling down the stairs, (in view of Slytherins, no less), finding another hole in his robes, _putting_ another hole in his robes, and realizing he left half his books back in his dorm, Remus finally made it to the Great Hall. He could smell pancakes. Chocolate-chip pancakes. Remus gathered up a slight hope of his awful morning turning into a pretty ok afternoon.

"I can't believe I beat _you_ here," Peter announced in a shocked voice, staring up at Remus from his seat. "You're usually half done with your second helping by the time the rest of us stagger in."

Remus sat down across from Peter, grimacing. "I've had a rough couple of hours."

Peter scrunched his pudgy face up in thought for what felt like a century, then shrugged, and looked around the Hall. "Where's Padfoot and Prongs?"

"Where's the chocolate-chip pancakes?"

"Sorry, mate," Peter whispered, forking the rest of his, and cramming them into his mouth. "Dey 'ent fas. Relly 'ood."

"Is that right?" Remus drawled.

Peter swallowed and nodded. "There's some plain left. You can put a Honeydukes bar on it!"

"How was your tutoring?" Remus asked, abruptly.

"Oh," Peter chirped, putting more food on his plate. "You know. Tutor-y."

"That's not a…never mind."

"How was the double date?"

Remus pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head.

Peter laughed. "Knew you'd have that response. You and Sirius were already in bed when I came back. Prongs said you had matching headaches."

"Cute," Remus mumbled.

"Then you were both _whimpering_ in your sleep. I was trying not to laugh and wake everyone up! You two are perfect-"

"What?" Remus shouted, his face steely. "We're perfect _what_?"

"You know! You two are…"

"Sirius and I are _what_?" Remus practically ripped Peter's throat out with the tone of his voice.

"You know! _Canines!_ I couldn't think of the word."

"Oh," Remus said, softly. Peter swallowed and refused to make eye contact with Remus. "Sorry," Remus said, knowing over-reacting when he saw it. "Moon's in five nights."

Remus and Peter lapped into a companionable silence. On the outside, Remus looked to be eating, but on the inside he was going through a list of names of girls in his year that he could date. "Hey, Wormtail," Remus called after a few moments. "What do you think of that girl Rose, in Ravenclaw? Our year."

"Oh!" Peter glanced up and over Remus's head, towards the Ravenclaw table. "Hmm…yeah, she's pretty."

"Think she'd go out with me?"

Peter stared at Remus, with his eyebrows linked together. "I, I suppose so, Moony. Um…why?"

"Plenty of reasons," Remus shrugged, half-heartedly. Against his better wishes, he sighed.

Remus's sigh, though, was out matched by an even louder, more heart-wrenching one streaming out of James's frowning mouth as he took his seat next to Peter at the table. "Bad morning," he said, nodding at his companions.

"You know," Peter spoke up. "It really is kind of nice that I can miss an entire outing with my mates but then know exactly what happened the next morning simply by the tone of their sighs."

"It was great, Wormtail," James moaned. Looking across at Remus, he added: "This is my side of the story, for the record. Moony's a whole other…yeah."

Remus scowled. James had no idea what was going through Remus's head. He didn't go running after Remus. No one did, for that matter; no one, in Remus's thoughts referred to Sirius.

"So," Peter squeaked up. "If it was great, then, why the I Hate My Life sigh?"

"Because, Peter," Remus jumped ahead of James. Something about James was irking Remus. "James Potter messes everything up." Remus would normally never say anything like that unless he was being sarcastic. Or speaking the truth; which he was.

"I do not! Do I, Wormtail?"

Peter swallowed his balls, his nerves, his very manhood. "Of course you don't, Prongs. More bacon?" Peter offered the platter to James.

"Why can't getting a girl be just as easy as eating a slice of bacon? There's no fuss, no chase. You just choose which piece appeals to you most, and shove it in your mouth. Done, and done."

Remus stared open mouthed at James. "Don't try to be wise at eight in the morning."

"Prongs, what do you think of that girl Rose, in Ravenclaw?" Peter asked, winking at Remus.

"The blonde? Eh. Why…? Wormy? You got a _girwl-frwiend_?"

"No, Moony wants to ask her out."

Thus began the stare down between Remus and James. Each trying to read the others mind, neither knowing what they were looking for; or wanted to find. Remus was the definition of confusion, and anger, and frustration. He was exactly where he didn't want to be last summer when he read Lily's note. He was being labeled; by James, no less. He was being thought about; instead of faded into the background, where he liked to be.

"Moony? What about…what about Lily?"

"I don't like Lily," Remus deadpanned.

"No, I mean…what about the plan?"

Remus narrowed his eyes. The last time he checked, his life didn't revolve around him aiding James get a girlfriend. At least, it wasn't supposed to revolve around it. Maybe it was his anger, maybe it was the moon being so close to Full, but for whatever the reason, Remus was about to slap James with a stream of harsh words, if it wasn't for the loud screech of the bench being pulled out next to him, and a certain pair of gray eyes closing his vocal cords.

"Mornin' Moony," Sirius said. Remus looked away fast. He didn't want Sirius's pity.

"What, you only greet Moony now?" Peter said, with a laugh.

"Pete? Open your mouth,"

"Why- _oomph_" Peter's voice was muffled by the sausage placed lovingly in his mouth by Sirius. James laughed, patting Peter on top of the head.

"Moony," Sirius said quietly, turning back to Remus. "We need to talk."

"I'm busy," Remus said. He knew what was coming._ I didn't mean to kiss you. I was helping out Prongs. I'm sorry to confuse you. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry. Maybe we should keep our distance, for awhile. _Remus got up from his seat, and gathered his things. The best way to avoid Sirius's "talks" was to go talk to someone else. He locked his eyes on Rose at the Ravenclaw table.

Sirius turned away from Remus. Not wanting to watch him walk away. He felt horrible. He ruined a relationship with a best friend that meant so much to him, for nothing. For _James_. And to think, Sirius always backed James up when he claimed he wasn't self-centered; was _he_ mistaken.

Sirius straightened his back, and watched with contempt as James shoved the great, big, gaping hole on his face that he called a mouth with a number of overcooked meat products. "Oi!" Sirius called.

James peered up at him from above his glasses. "Wha'?"

Sirius's face was a tight line of determination. He was fierce. He was taking no prisoners. "I'm telling."

With his slice of toast barely grazing his lips, Peter raised his eyebrows at Sirius. "Padfoot, I know chewing with your mouth open is sickening to witness, but I don't think that's grounds for detention," he said, looking from James to Sirius, ignorant of the fact that neither boy was paying him a lick of attention.

"You wouldn't dare," James hissed, hazel eyes locked onto Sirius's.

"Why wouldn't I?" Sirius challenged.

"You'll ruin my life!" James shouted, flinging a fork of egg over his shoulder at the Hufflepuff table. "All the work I've done!"

"Work?" Sirius threw his head back laughing. "When have you ever done work?"

James pointed at Sirius. "That's beside the point."

"Exactly. Plus, _you_ ruined _my_ life."

Peter snorted. "What life?"

"Oh, so that's how you feel, Wormtail?"

Peter frowned. "Maybe. No. I thought we were…I don't know what's going on really."

James threw his hand over Peter's mouth. "How did _I_ ruin your life, Pads?"

Sirius gaped at him. If his eyes were capable of communication they would sing the question 'Isn't it obvious?' in perfect harmony. "Moony hates me!"

"Moony hates everyone," Peter noted, incapable of keeping quiet for a second.

"How is Moony hating you my fault?" James's head was starting to pound. It was one thing to be the leader of his friends, it was a whole other thing to solve their problems that you may or may not have given them. Luckily, James liked making himself seem important.

"Your fault. Lily's. Same difference." Sirius started swirling his fork around his plate. "You started the whole thing."

James blinked slowly and drank down his entire glass of Pumpkin juice. "Padfoot, I'll admit that I started it, maybe I'll admit that, in some alternate universe, this might have been my doing, _but_…no one, especially me, told you, _made_ you-" James stopped. Both he and Sirius looked at Peter, who was bopping his head in time with his chewing, listening to every word that was said like the rat he was.

James puckered his lips and pointed at them. Then he pointed at his chest and shook his head.

Sirius sighed. "You have a point," he mumbled.

"Wait," Peter said, swallowing loudly. "I missed that last bit."

"But," Sirius said, eyes lighting like fire. He wasn't going to give up yet. This was James's fault, after all; and Sirius would rather break his arm off then let James get away with it. "If it wasn't for your _plan_ in the first place, I would have been somewhere else, possibly with someone else, at that exact moment in time, and then a certain someone wouldn't flee in my presence because a certain, _event_, wouldn't have happened at all." Sirius paused to breathe. "And that is why, Mister Prongs, I'm telling."

"Telling who?" Peter asked.

"Telling _what_?" James asked.

Sirius leaned forward. "Everything." Sirius stood, eyes drifting over to Gryffindor's resident red head sitting ten chairs ahead.

"I'll kill you," James hissed, also standing. "I'm going to kill him."

"Hey, Evans!" Sirius shouted, waving his hands at Lily.

"Padfoot!" James grabbed the front of Sirius's robes from over the table.

"Evans!" Sirius squirmed out of James's hold. "Let go of me, Prongs!"

"No! Why are you messing this up for me?"

Sirius leant over the table, touching his nose to James's. "You're lying to her. You're blinded by love. And you're lying. Maybe you should go sit over with Snivellus, 'cause you reek of Slytherin."

James backed his face away from Sirius and knitted his eyebrows together in one angry black line. "We talked about this yesterday."

"Well this is today! Hey, Evans! I need to talk to you!"

"Stop!" James shouted, using his hold on the front of Sirius's robes to roughly shake him. "Listen to reason!"

"Well, I just don't know who that is!"

"Stop yelling," Peter squealed, biting his fingernails in worry.

A soft hand grabbed the back of Sirius's robe and yanked him away from James. "McGonagall's going to slit your throats with her next _thought_ if you don't sit down," Lily hissed. "As Head Girl I command it."

"Evans," Sirius cooed, smirking at James. "How lovely to see your face this morning!"

Lily looked Sirius up and down. "Black," she spat. "Can't say the same."

"Cute." Sirius placed his hands on Lily's shoulders. "I need to tell you something."

Like magic, James was suddenly standing in between Sirius and Lily. Since they couldn't apparate in the castle, Sirius suspected that James crawled under the table. The dark streak of ketchup on the back of James's thigh also tipped him off.

"Don't listen to him," James said. "He's not feeling right today-"

"Evans! James has been ly-"

"Lying about Sirius's mental health. You see he's-"

"No! He's lying-"

"_He's_ lying!"

"No! I'm-"

"Stop!" Lily yelled, covering her ears. "I don't care what either of you have to say. I'm not going to believe another word."

"We're illegal animagi."

James's and Peter's mouths dropped.

Lily narrowed her eyes, spun around so fast that both boys were slapped in the face with her hair, and stomped back to her seat.

"I was just testing," Sirius shrugged.

"Sirius," James said, turning to face his best friend. "I hate fighting with you."

Sirius chewed on his thoughts, but how could he stay mad at that face! "I hate fighting with you, too, Prongs."

"I'm sorry I pulled you and Moony into this."

Sirius nodded. "I'm sorry I was going to ruin your chances with Evans."

James put his hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I forgive you."

Sirius rolled his eyes and pushed James to the side so he could sit back down. If James was Remus, Sirius would have probably pulled him into a bear hug, and then berate him for being to thin, and life would crawl along on its merry way.

Instead he got to stare at James Potter's puss. "I've got to win her back," James hissed, twisting his fingers together. "That half an hour when we were together, was the best thirty minutes of my life!"

"Even better than the time we turned Snape's face into a butt for a half an hour?"

James bit his lip. "Well, it's a close second." James sat up straight, clapping his hands together. "Ok. Plan. I need a better plan. Wormtail? What you got for me?"

"Look at that," Peter snickered, pointing past Sirius towards the doors. Sirius lazily turned his head to look. "Moony's got a girlfriend."

Sirius's eyes widened as he witnessed Remus Lupin strutting out of the Great Hall with a twittering skirt bouncing along next to him. "What the hell?"

"Looks like you've been dumped, Padfoot," Peter laughed.

"No one dumps Sirius Black," Sirius shouted. "Especially his best friend who he actually really isn't dating." Sirius stood, the blood in his veins pumping too hot, and too fast to keep him seated.

"Where are you going?" James asked; his soul wasn't in it though, as he was busy scribbling Merlin knew what on a scrap piece of parchment.

"I'm going to question his motives," Sirius said, scrambling out of the bench.

"Oh, leave him alone, Padfoot," James whined.

"Yeah, like that's possible," Peter whispered.

Sirius chose to ignore him, as his black combat boots carried him further out of the Hall.

* * *

"So, Remus, what kind of, like, _music_ do you like?" 

Remus hated his life. There he was, walking around the lake, freezing his hair follicles off mind you, with a pretty, smart girl; and he was miserable. Miserable! The conversation left something to desire, and if she giggled one more time for no reason, Remus was going to have to offer her as a sacrifice to the Giant Squid.

Remus cleared his throat. He was only out there for one reason, so he might as well get it over with. "Well, I like jazz, mostly. But, Sirius makes me listen to all those rocky bands."

Rose giggled. For no reason, Remus noted. This date might have been a rash decision. Remus usually planned. Well if not planned, he at least fretted like a woman over every possible scenario that could happen and then judging his options, he would blindly choose his fate.

The Ravenclaw girl sighed. "We're we going?" she asked, her voice light and fake.

"We're just walking…I guess."

"Ok." And then came the long awaited, highly avoided, put-off, awkward pause. _Why do I submit myself to this?_ Remus thought. _I could be inside a nice, warm, quiet castle, yelling at James and Sirius to stop being idiots every breathing second. But, no, I'm on an impromptu date._

"Remus?" Rose called, skidding to a halt. "I don't want to go any further. I don't like the Forbidden Forest." Rose's eyes skimmed the dark trees, shivering slightly and not because it was chilly out.

Remus would have frowned, if he wasn't already. "You don't like the Forest?" he repeated, mainly for his own benefit. The inevitable conversation was coming, his blood was telling him.

Rose giggled. "No!" she squealed. "You do?"

Remus shrugged.

"I see. Big, brave Remus Lupin isn't scared of all the _dark creatures_ in the forest?"

"No," Remus spat. "'Cause I am one."

Rose laughed. She didn't giggle, she didn't chuckle; she full blown, head tipped back, belly shaking laughed at Remus. "Oh, oh," she managed to gurgle out. Remus's eyebrows shot up, when Rose snorted loudly. "Oh, Remus! That was funny!"

"I'm glad I could be of service," Remus murmured. Remus hated this girl. Remus had this fantasy that when he told a girl that he was a Werewolf, she would grab his hand, look him in the eye, and say "No you're not. You're Remus Lupin" and she wouldn't be laughing, and she would believe him, and she wouldn't care. Rose was not going to be that girl. But, at least Remus could get out of her what he needed at the moment.

Remus placed his hand awkwardly on Rose's cheek, still pink from laughing. "Remus?" she asked, tilting her head slightly away from his touch.

"Rose," Remus whispered, leaning in awkwardly. Awkwardly. His everything felt awkward. Not electric, not buzzing, not heated. Awkward. "Let's just get to the point."

"What?" Rose chocked, squirming slightly. "What, Remus? You just want to snog?"

Remus shrugged, and nodded. His eyes were locked on Rose's plump lips. He was ready.

Rose giggled and ripped her self away from Remus. "Remus, I'm sorry," she said. "You're a really nice guy! Really! But…I don't kiss on the first date."

"What?" Remus asked, dumbfounded.

"I don't kiss on the first date. A respectful girl doesn't, at least."

"Oh, yeah," Remus nodded, feeling like Sirius and James probably felt all the time; uncaring and rude. "Oh, well, how many, after how many dates do you…?"

"At least six."

"Six!" Remus wasn't about to commit to six dates! That was crazy talk. First off all, he was going to be "missing" the next weekend.

"Rose!" Remus and Rose turned back to the castle. A blonde boy in a Ravenclaw tie was waving his hands in the air. "Rose! You're going to miss Runes!"

"Oh, no. Coming!" Rose turned to Remus. "I've got to go."

Remus nodded. He didn't care in the first place, and now all of his interest had faded fast. "Have a nice class."

"You too," Rose called over her shoulder as she ran back to the castle.

Remus rolled his eyes. "Ravenclaws," he said.

* * *

Remus walked into his dorm. He had double study hall in the morning and was planning on spending it in bed. On his way up the stairs, Remus had chickened out of asking three more girls out. He decided it wasn't worth the stomach ache. Remus was already tired because the full moon was soon, tired because he didn't sleep well, and tired of thinking too much. Plus, Remus concluded, his mind already in a sleep haze, if he didn't have time to look for a girlfriend, then he didn't have time for one. Feeling particularly wise, Remus whipped open the door to his dorm room. 

Half way to his bed, Remus stopped and glared unsurprised at the boy perched on his mattress, rudely wrinkling his covers.

"Why aren't you in class, Sirius?"

"Why aren't you?"

"I have my reasons." Remus moved forward. "Up! This is my bed."

"I know," Sirius spat, not getting up, just moving over. He held up a crumply looking piece of parchment. "I was watching you." Sirius circled around Hogwarts and the grounds for sometime until he slipped on a discarded piece of parchment. After shouting a list of swear words at the parchment, Sirius was reminded of another special piece of parchment, and promptly flew up to his dorm. He swore he was up to no good, and sat watching Remus make his slow ascent to the Tower, the whole time thinking what on Earth he was going to say to make Remus not hate him.

Remus situated himself comfortably up against his headboard. "What else is new?" Remus asked, quietly. To his displeasure, Sirius's cheeks colored slightly.

"I'm just…Remus! You ditched me for _that girl_, and I want to talk to you!"

Remus stared at Sirius. "And what do you call this?"

"I call this you being snippy with me, and skirting around the real issue."

Remus sighed, letting his shaggy bangs fall over his eyes. "Padfoot. I'm not mad. And _you're_ still talking to _me_. That's all that matters."

Sirius leaned forward, apprehensively and eager. Remus couldn't help but notice the resemblance Sirius the boy had to Sirius the dog. "If you're not mad at me," Sirius spoke. "Then why are you not acting normal?" Sirius knew there would be no easy answers; he just wanted his Moony back.

Remus sighed. He was going to take the easy way out of it. "Sirius, because I'm _not_ normal. I'm a Werewolf."

Sirius reached his hand out, grabbing Remus's tightly. "No you're not," he whispered. "You're Remus Lupin. First, you're Remus Lupin. Then you're my best mate. Then you're the most intelligent person I know. And _then_ you're a Werewolf."

"Have you been reading my diary, again?" Remus asked. He was trying to distract his mind, his soul, from wanting to cry.

Sirius growled, ripping his hand away from Remus's. "I'm trying to be serious with you. And you're acting like a git."

"Do you blame me?"

"What?" Sirius asked, shocked.

"I can't go back to how you want things to be, Pads! I can't because I can't remember." Remus took a deep breath. If Sirius wanted Remus to talk, then he was going to talk. He was going to spill every thought in his head, no matter how messy it made things. "I can't remember how I acted around you without thinking too much, or second guessing my every move. I can't remember being comfortably around you, not caring what people thought. Because, Lily's note to James ruined it. It ruined my perception of my life. I can't remember how it was without remembering how it is now; with Lily's eyes seeming to watch our every move. And…I can't remember how I felt when we kissed. I must have blocked it out. I can't remember if I liked it, if I didn't, and I was out with Rose because I wanted to kiss someone and see if it felt the same, better, worse. Because I can't remember!" Remus looked down, trying to think if he missed anything. He looked up and nodded. _There that must cover every possible question he has for me._

Sirius was quiet. He licked his lips. "Do you want to kiss me again?"

Every food Remus had ever eaten, for his entire life, was making a shocking attempt to evacuate from his body. With his hands shaking, Remus dragged his fingers up to his ears, and tried to clean them out.

"You heard right," Sirius said, laughing despite the intensity in the room.

"Why would I want to kiss you again?" Remus asked.

Sirius inhaled and exhaled roughly, like breathing had become the hardest thing to accomplish. "I can't remember either. How it felt. I've been trying to…but…so…if we kiss, this time without being blindingly mad at each other…we'll be able to find an answer."

Remus swallowed. "Why do you pick the oddest times to be logical about things?" Sirius smiled and moved closer. "But, what if-" Remus stated to say.

Sirius shook his head. "This is the plan, Moony," Sirius said, eyes locking with Remus's. "We're going to kiss, we're going to form our own opinions, we're going to share them, we're going to accept them, we're going to move on, Lily Evans be damned!"

"This is crazy," Remus whispered, laughing airily. Then he leant forward, brushing his dry, chapped lips, against Sirius's much better wet and smooth ones. Sirius pressed against Remus's lips, dragging his tongue against Remus's bottom lip. And they both began the long process of "forming their own opinions".

Forming opinions was such involved work, that Lily Evans was able to stick her head in the room, start to say "Jame-", and pull her head back out just as quickly. Without being noticed.


	14. Seeing

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: Hey, look! I've updated, lol! It's almost been a year since I first posted this story, that's insane. Maybe if months didn't pass between updates...Anyways! THANKS, THANKS, THANKS to everyone who still cares about this little fanfic. Love you all!

And you should know before you start, that this chapter doesn't pick up where the last one left off, but coincides with it.

* * *

Lily just didn't care less. About what any of those, those, _boys_ had to say. They weren't even boys. They were beasts. Wild beasts; and not in a fun way. In an uncontrollably, do what ever they please, with no sense to care about other people, or rules, kind of way. 

And Remus was with them! That was what ticked her off the most. Remus was a prefect, he was smarter than that. Lily would always remember first year. When either through Remus's shyness and _lack_ of ability to always land himself in detention, or through the fact that maybe he had a brain, and used it, Remus wasn't friends with Sirius and James. Not yet. Not how they were now. Of course some secret event took place in the beginning of second year that made them all glue together, but _first year_…!

In their first year, Remus and Lily were inseparable. She talked to him everyday, sat with him at lunch, made him a get well card when he got back all ruffed up from "his mother's". Lily wasn't dumb, of course. No matter how badly someone was beaten up, they were never bitten through their arm, to the bone.

But, Lily never said anything. Always played innocently aloof. And what did she get in return?

James Potter.

Remus, being the sweet gentleman he could be, stayed friends with Lily even though he moved on to bigger and better (_worse, worse, worse!_) things.

Until James Potter got a whiff of the friendship, and like any good friend decided to use Remus to get to her. Then Remus stopped their friendship, simply to give her a break.

Oh, and all the good that did!

Now she had lost a really good friend…and gained a royal pain in her- _ahem_, Lily didn't like to swear.

Lily returned to her seat across from her friend Alice at the table; after breaking up some weird struggle between Black and Potter, and then being forced to listen to them decide which one was really lying to her. But, Lily didn't care anymore. Nope. No. More.

"Why are you making that face?"

Lily looked up at Alice. "What face?"

Alice pointed. "That. One of your eyes is wider than the other and your nostrils are pinched and your lip-"

"Ok! I get! I'm making a weird face."

Alice leaned forward, her black hair falling into her half empty bowl of porridge. "Can I get three guess?"

Lily rolled her eyes. "You won't need three."

"I thought you weren't going to let him get to you anymore," Alice said, pulling her hair from her dish. "You said, I quote, That idiot and his band of morons can impale themselves on their own wands for all I care." Alice laughed breathily, and stuck the tips of her hair in her mouth.

Lily looked at Alice, round-faced, innocent Alice…sucking on the tips of her hair…and wondered what her life was coming to. "What am I doing?" Lily sighed, transfixed by the disgusting show of hair maintenance in front of her.

"You're eating breakfast, and trying to ignore James Potter," Alice grinned. Alice's eyes traveled over to the direction of said idiot and his band of morons. "Look! Something else is going on."

"I'm not looking," Lily shouted in a whisper, covering her eyes.

"Oh, look! Look! Black's all wiled up."

"I don't care! I'm not looking!"

"He turned around to look at something….wow, now you have to look at his butt!"

Lily pulled her hands down from her face to scowl at Alice. "_Definitely_ not looking."

"He's running off somewhere…" Alice rose from her seat, leaning back and forth. "I think he went off after someone."

"Who cares?" Lily said, pulling her hair back. "Why is everyone so fascinated by those four? Like they're the be all and say all of Hogwarts. Like someday someone's going to write a book about them, a chapter in _Hogwarts, A History_; Chapter 1,461: How James Potter Gets His Hair So Perfect. No one would read it!"

Alice was sitting back straight in her chair, raising her thick black eyebrows at Lily. "Why you getting so worked up?"

"I am not!"

"You want to know what I think?"

"No."

"I think, that you, Miss Lily Evans, has James Potter on the brain."

Lily's mouth dropped open. She had never in all her life gotten a worse insult. "I most certainly do not!"

Alice flipped her hair over her shoulder with one chubby hand. "I think you're in love with him."

Lily blanched, and shook her head. "I'm telling Frank you think Sirius has a cute butt, if you say one more awful thing like that."

Alice shrugged. "I've already told him." Alice leaned back to send a flirty wave to her boyfriend sitting down the table. "Now," she continued, turning back to Lily. "The question is, do you think _Potter_ has a cute butt?"

Lily couldn't help but get vivid images of seeing James stepping off his broom, James walking ahead of her up the stairs, James chasing Sirius around the common room.

"Long pause, with eyes unfocused, clearly means yes."

Lily gasped! "That wasn't a long pause!"

"Um, I do believe anything longer than saying no immediately after my question would qualify as a long pause."

"Well…." Lily tried to find the reason behind the madness. There was no way out of this conversation. And when there was no way out, Lily threw herself into the fire. "I mean, Alice! He plays Quidditch." The two girls lapsed into heavy giggles. It was moments like that, that made Lily wish she did have a boyfriend. Wish she had stories about her boyfriend to compare with Alice and her boyfriend stories.

Lily looked up from where she had her laughing face tucked into the crock of her arm. Alice had her happy eyes narrowed in on James down the table, who was pretending to listen to whatever nonsense Peter Pettigrew was choosing to ramble about, when actually he was sending tiny quick glances at Lily.

"You know Lily," Alice said. "I bet he's not that bad if you took him completely away from Sirius."

Lily sighed. "That's horrible though. I can't go up to him and say if you dump Black I'll be your girlfriend, because you know what would happen?"

"He'd do it."

"Exactly," Lily responded, laughing. "And then I'd have the wrath of Sirius Black on my hands, and it's not worth it." Lily stopped to think, and she remembered the most important factor. "And he lied."

Alice tilted her head to the side. "Who lied?"

"James."

"About…?"

"About Re-" Lily caught herself. She was normally so good at not slipping up. Whether Remus and Sirius were together, or not, they didn't deserve to be outed by her. "Nothing important."

"You know Lily," Alice started. Lily noted the slight decrease in volume and humor in her friend's voice. Alice had her eyes downcast, staring at the tiny circles she was making in her leftover food. "We've been friends since second year, and I hope…I mean you're my best friend. And…you can tell me you fancy James, its ok! I won't think anything less of you, and I won't make a poster and hang it in the Hall so that Snape finds out and goes berserk. Really! I'll just be your friend."

Lily smiled. "You _are_ my best friend, Alice. And, well," Lily swallowed. There was a bubble in her throat. A hiccup that was filled with the truth, and she was going to burp it out once and for all. "Alice, I do fancy J…am. Jam. On my toast. Love it."

"What?" Alice followed Lily's panicked eyes up and over her own head, her gaze falling on the very upside down face of James Potter. "Oh." Alice swung around to look at him properly. "Hello, Potter."

"Alice," James said, nodding his head. "Hello Lily."

Lily remembered to blink; and her lungs remembered to breathe, and her heart remembered to beat, and her palms remembered to sweat. "James," Lily drawled.

"I came to apologize."

Lily held her hand out. "For?"

"For," James started. He stopped to take a big breath. "Sirius."

"What did Sirius do?" Alice asked, her head flying from James to Lily. She was completely unabashed about listening in to their conversation, and Lily was thankful to be the one with the entourage of friends for once; if one person ever qualified as an entourage.

"He, um, you know." James pointed back to where he and Sirius were sitting before as if that explained everything. "I mean, maybe-" James paused to sigh, his shoulders sinking down in defeat. "Maybe I want to really, like, apologize for, um, for myself."

Lily couldn't help it. She laughed. "Like that's possible," she practically shouted. She was a million thoughts all wrapped up in one person, and laughing was the easiest, most non-offensive, thing to do at the moment. "You can't apologize for yourself James. Because that means you have to _not_ be full of yourself for one moment."

"It's not that, Lily!" James shouted back. "You make me nervous! How is a guy supposed to act around someone that makes their very molecular structure unhinged? All I can _do_ is pretend to be cool and collected, because if I were to really show you what you reduce me to, they'd throw me in St. Mungo's Insanity Ward!"

"I heard they have pretty curtains," Alice said, felling weird being smack in the middle of James's and Lily's stare down. As far as she could tell, one of two things could happen. 1. Lily would throw her self across the table to snog James, kicking Alice in the face as a result. Or. 2. Lily would throw her self across the table to beat James up, kicking Alice in the face as a result. Either way, she had about five more seconds to learn a spell for fixing a broken nose.

To Alice's relief, Lily simply tossed her used napkin onto her empty plate, and folded her hands back in her lap. "James," Lily spoke up. "You ruined it. You ruined it right now by telling me things that are of unimportance to me. I could care less if I make you nervous. That's nonsense. Just like everything else you've ever spat at me! And I'm sick of looking like a complete fool."

James sighed again. "Well, then Lily, perhaps it's not in the stars for us. _Perhaps _we're just meant to be Head Girl and Head Boy, and then part ways. _Perhaps_-" Alice did her best to stifle a laugh as James's voice rose in volume and dramatics with each 'Perhaps'. Lily was doing her best to appear annoyed and not completely in like with the boy in front of her. "_Perhaps_ I've wasted my time trying to win you over, but I'll tell you one thing Lily, I don't know your middle name, Evans! It. Was. Worth. It." James swung around, and with his head held high, stomped back over to his seat.

Alice turned back around and batted her eyelashes at Lily. "I have no idea what that was about but, it was adorable."

"No, it wasn't," Lily responded, pursing her lips. She could feel James's hazel eyes narrowing in on her like laser beams. She wasn't going to give in though. Nope. _Hold tight to your standards_, she told herself.

"Lily," Alice groaned. "I know what you're doing!"

Lily flipped her hair back over her shoulder, the slap it made against her shoulder blade indicating how annoyed she was. "What?"

Alice straightened her back. "You're sticking to your standards, which, by the way, is redundant because you've never had a boyfriend to _set_ standards from."

"You've only ever had one boyfriend, _by the way_," Lily said. She flicked a piece of toast at Alice that missed its target by five inches and hit the arm of a passing Hufflepuff. Lily swooped her head down; _No, that wasn't the Head Girl throwing food!_

"Yes," Alice said, trying to look dignified after screaming because a piece of toast almost hit her. "And that one boyfriend makes me wiser than you in the ways of men."

"Ok then, let me ask you a question."

A twinkling bell rang through the Hall, telling the few stragglers that breakfast was indeed over.

"Oh, and our time is up here. Very sorry," Alice beamed.

Lily laughed, and neatly arranged her things in a largest to smallest order, for easy carrying. She and Alice fought their way out of the Great Hall, meeting up with Frank Longbottom in the corridor.

"Alice thinks Sirius has a nice butt," Lily said, shaking her head at Frank.

Frank laughed, and slung a strong arm around his girlfriend's shoulders. "Old news, Lil," he said before sweeping Alice into a kiss that made Lily feel weak.

And jealous.

Lily didn't want to watch Alice and Frank, but she couldn't tear her eyes from them. They were kissing, and whispering, and sharing the same air, and touching in every place that was proper while standing within the possible view of a professor.

For the fist time in her life, Lily felt like she _didn't _have everything. She had looks, and brains, and a quick wit, and a big heart. But besides her best friend, her parents, and her teaches, Lily had no one who appreciated everything about her like Frank and Alice did each other.

She thought for a moment, as she followed Frank and Alice down the stairs to Potions, that she might be alone forever. The weird girl who had everything, and let pride and foolishness and pettiness stand in her way.

She imagined bumping into James in five years, and James's wife, and James's kids…

And she felt sick to her stomach.

Lily squeezed her books to her chest. No one else was supposed to be with James! The thought hit her like a spell. No one else would treat James like how she would treat him; like a brain-dead baboon. A brain-dead baboon with a cute smile and a body that..."Alice? I _do_ fancy James Potter."

"Of course you do Lily," Frank spoke up, looking at Lily over his shoulder. "Why else would you make yourself hate him so much?"

"The wisdom this boy has!" Alice proclaimed.

Lily couldn't believe it. Frank was wise; he was right. Lily didn't hate James. Not really. She made herself hate him. She found things to hate about him. Somethings of course, (like his choice of friends), couldn't be helped; but that one time when Lily hated James because one of his shoelaces was longer than the other, was just ridiculous. And maybe she hated James because she couldn't hate him. Because she knew that she could never hate him. He was too perfect.

Lily smiled. She made up her mind right there, finally. She was going to fix things with James. So what if he lied about Sirius and Remus, or didn't lie, or pretended to not lie, or whatever. James was a loyal friend, and accepting of others in different ways too; like a friend that was a dangerous beast; a girl who was anything but a pureblood. Lily wasn't going to let _her _opportunity for real love slip through her fingers. She was going to make James hers.

Right after Potions.

* * *

"…then I realized that if I were to stir the potion _counter_ clockwise, as opposed to clockwise, it will obtain the light green hue much faster." 

Lily nodded, as she quickly jotted down every important word that drawled from Severus Snape's thin mouth. The two Potions partners were the only ones left after class ended. They were Slughorn's favorites, so they were given extra time in the classroom, which they took. Everyday Lily and Snape sat at their desks for an extra half hour, sharing tips and just talking; an activity which always made Alice laugh, but Lily stayed with Snape mostly because she didn't think he had any other friends. "What about the bat wings though?" she asked, tapping her quill to her mouth.

Snape's lips pulled up into a slight smile. "You never miss a beat Lily," he whispered. Lily beamed, and shrugged. "Cut them length wise, don't chop," Snape said, unnecessarily leaning towards Lily.

"Perfect," Lily said, slightly uncomfortable with having Snape so close. With a hopefully suppressed shudder, Lily closed her notebook. Alice informed her last year that Snape had "the crush" on her, and ever since then she'd become wary of leading the boy on. Lily was sad that at her age, friendships with the opposite sex were just not possible. "Well, thanks so much, Severus. I don't know what I've done to be able to hear all your secrets."

Snape sat back in his chair, black eyes suddenly downcast. "You're…you're….ni-you're you, Lily," he said in barley a whisper. Lily noted Snape's twitchy fingers fiddling with the sleeve of his robes.

_Oh Merlin_, she mentally groaned. It was time to put that whole situation to an end, before it went too far. Lily reached out and put her hand on Snape's thin, but strong, shoulder. "You're a great friend, Severus."

Snape nodded silently. So he was a little heartbroken; he'd get over it. "Lily," Snape said. _Please just say I'm a great friend too! _Lily's thoughts hung on Snape's next sentence.

"Lily…if you wanted….I…I could….never mind."

_Oh, for the love of everything magical…_ Lily dug her fingernails into her palm. She should have put an end to the whole Snape situation years ago; but, she had a soft spot for the boy that was constantly teased by everyone. She never wanted to date him, though. His hair was far too greasy.

"Severus, I-" Lily stopped. She wanted to let him down but nice, gently. "I'm not looking for anything more than friends right now."_ Please don't ever see me near James Potter for the rest of your life!_ "I need to focus on school."

"That's the most important," Snape agreed.

Lily smiled. Now Severus Snape? That boy had brains! "Glad you agree," Lily said, satisfied at how simple and easy dumping Snape was. She looked quickly down at her watch. "Well, I've got Head Girl duties to get to." _Looking for James being top priority._

Lily stood up, followed immediately by Snape. "Same time tomorrow?" he asked.

"Of course!"

Lily gathered her books and moved around towards the exit. Followed immediately by Snape. "You know I have some great ideas on how to reform the Draught of Peace potion."

"Sounds interesting," Lily murmured, she began walking to the door. Snape took his long strides to match her quick ones.

"I've been thinking of trying my hands at, um, Amortentia."

_Oh Gods._ "Maybe."

Snape stopped, standing right in front of the exit door. Lily looked past him, but saw no other alternative. "Severus, you're blocking the door."

Snape snapped to attention and quickly moved to the left. "Sorry." Snape reached out a pale hand and grabbed Lily's arm. "See you tomorrow then."

_Creep, creep, creep. _"See you tomorrow," Lily mumbled quickly speeding out the door. _Can't men be normal_, Lily shouted in her head. "They're all nuts!"

"Well, missy, you're the one talking to yourself."

Lily threw a nasty look at the painted woman hanging on the wall next to her. She didn't have time to stop and argue with one dimensional people. Lily had a free period at that moment, and instead of her usual destination, the library, and her usual activity, ignoring the world, Lily decided to find James and apologize for being a royal bitch.

And maybe drop that she did in fact harbor secret odd feelings for him that sprang out of no where; or may have surfaced from actually getting to know him and not just brushing him off as a brain-dead baboon.

In other words, Lily needed to find James. She had to apologize. She couldn't lose him because if after James her next option was Snape, they were going to find her body hurled from her dorm window.

Lily ran like never before. From hallway to hallway, floor to floor. Dodging students, professors, ghosts.

She ran like a crazed spider monkey up to the astronomy tower, three steps at a time; all the better to see the Quidditch pitch, and the…tiny _blue_ figures buzzing around the stands. _Grr!_

Lily hobbled back down the ten million flights of stairs at a much slower pace, stopping every sixth step to catch her breath.

When she finally reached the bottom, Lily took a second to straighten her skirt, smooth down her hair, and shift her books to the other hip before she resumed her speedy tour of Hogwarts.

After checking the Quidditch pitch for James, the next best place to go was the kitchen. Then the court yard, the willow tree, the lake, back in the castle, Lily ran right past the library not even sending it a blink, the Great Hall.

The second last location on her mental list of places to find James was the Gryffindor common room. Lily stood panting like a mad woman, clutching the back of a chair. Her fiery red hair was wind swept and tangled. One of her knee socks had fallen. Her cheeks were flushed. And she was pretty sure half the room was staring at her shirt, which had popped open.

"As Head Girl," Lily shouted, all fake confidence and ragged breathing. "I demand that you get back to work!" All eyes snapped away from her, and Lily took that moment to survey the room.

No huddled group whispering in the corner. No loud, obnoxious boys giggling. No heads of messy, black hair.

Lily sat down in the seat she had been leaning on for life support and sighed. There was only one other place to check for James. Two sparkling, green eyes traveled the length of the common room and straight up to the boy's dorms.

She didn't dare go up there. If anything, the smell alone would make anyone run away. _What am I going to do?_ Lily thought to herself. _Go up to his room just to apologize for something he probably doesn't even care about or remember? And then after I apologize, and he accepts, then there I am! Standing in the middle of his room! Right near where he sleeps every night! Awkward!_

Lily thought for a second. She stood up. _Or I can be a Gryffindor and just go up there and get it over with! The more I delay, the more time for me to change my mind._

Lily threw her head back and walked to the stairs that led to the boy's dorms. Ignoring everyone else in the room, Lily stalked up the staircase, and didn't stop until she came face to face with the door marked "Seventh Years". Lily took a deep breath, stopped to button her shirt back up, took another big breath and pushed the door open.

"Jame-"

Lily's voice fell as her eyes immediately took in what was happening in front of her. On the bed across from the door, a boy with long, silky, black hair was on all fours, reaching his head forward, sliding his tongue into the mouth of another boy with soft brown hair who was sitting with his back against the headboard, fingers clenched around the first boy's collar, pulling him closer, if that was possible.

Lily quickly whipped her head back into the hallway, and quietly shut the door. _Well_, she thought, leaning heavily against the closed door. Now she really wanted to find James.

Lily walked back down the stairs, with her head down, lost in her own thoughts. She was knocked to the side slightly, and looked up at whoever hit her shoulder.

"Sorry…Lily," Peter Pettigrew stammered. "I wasn't looking and, I…" Peter looked from Lily to his dorm and back again.

"I was looking for James," Lily explained, politely. "I thought he'd be up in his room."

"Oh, ok," Peter said, nodding. "He's visiting Hagrid."

"Hagrid," Lily groaned, smacking her head. She forget to check there, of course; but if she did, she wouldn't have seen what she saw in the Seventh Years Boy's dorm.

"Was anyone up in the room?" Peter asked, all ready starting to make his way up the staircase.

Lily looked into Peter's face. She didn't like him. There was something about him that turned her off. His pointy nose. His watery eyes. The way he always clambered after James like he was a God. Lily tilted her head to the side and smiled. "No," she said.


	15. Normal is Ridiculous

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story.**

A/N: I've missed my one year anniversary of the first day I posted this story by a half an hour (my time). :( Oh, well, lol! Anyways, THANK YOU! to everyone who read/reviewed! And, so you all know, there is only one more chapter left for this story after this one.

Happy reading!

* * *

This was the hardest thing he had ever done in his life, thus far. He knew harder things were to come. He didn't want them to, but being who he was, nothing would ever end heroic for him. 

Then again, as he felt his jaw rip from his face, trying to pull a text book twice his size across a room with the teeth of a rat was just simply impossible.

Peter rose to human form, using a freshly transformed hand to shield his eyes. "Are you two done yet? I need to get to the library!"

Sirius tore his mouth, his body, away from Remus, and spun around on the bed. "Wormtail! What are you doing in here?" he growled, hoping that the color in his cheeks could be written off as surprise and anger instead of anything else it might have meant.

"I live here," Peter shot back. He pulled at his two front teeth, frowning; they definitely moved forward a bit since two minutes ago.

"Well go find somewhere else to sneak around!"

"I needed this book!" Peter paused to finger the nice bite marks now littering the edge of the book's cover. "Why don't _you_ go find somewhere else to snog Moony!"

"I'll snog Moony wherever I _feel_ like snogging Moony!"

Peter shrugged. He didn't feel like arguing, when he knew he was going to win anyways. "All I'm saying is that you might want to be more careful," he said, smirking, loving that for once he knew something that they didn't.

Sirius watched through his disheveled bangs as Peter strutted towards the door. _If you could call that strutting,_ Sirius thought. It was more like straddling, with his oval stomach wobbling back and forth and his legs stepping too wide.

Just as Sirius was beginning a new mental monologue on the lumpy-ness of Peter's butt, Peter turned around, giving Sirius and Remus his best mischievous glare. "You never know who might _walk in_," he said. Peter then slowly and artfully swept his hand across the side of his neck, tilting his head back.

"You don't have long hair, moron," Sirius shouted, laughing over his seething annoyance, as Peter left the room. "What was that supposed to mean?"

"Look at me," Remus mumbled from behind Sirius's back. Sirius spun around again. Remus made a movement with his eyes, telling Sirius that he wanted him to look at his whole body.

Sirius sat back slightly and took in Remus, who was sitting with his arms crossed over his chest; his legs hooked together at the ankle and pulled up closer to his body. "Yeah?" Sirius asked.

"I look like a woman," Remus pointed out. Sirius laughed, throwing himself across the bed. Remus sputtered, but joined in soon enough, feeling stupid that he was covering body parts that he 1. Didn't have and 2. Wasn't showing.

"Oh, Moony," Sirius giggled. A thought bubble burst in Sirius's mind. It was a tiny blimp of a thought, but it silenced him. Once Remus's airy gurgles died into nothing, Sirius's mouth decided to speak without the consent of his brain. "I wish you were a woman." Sirius waited for Remus to express his anger. When nothing came, he continued. "I don't think I'll ever find a girl as perfect as you would be."

Remus stared up at the crimson of his bed hangings. He couldn't talk. He couldn't get his lips to move. He didn't know what he would say of he could. Because Remus agreed with Sirius. There was never going to be a relationship in his life that would rank ahead of the mixed-up, too close for comfort, touched in all the right places relationship that he had with the stupid Animagi. "You don't have a _sister_, right?" Remus eventually managed.

"Yeah," Sirius laughed. "And she just so happens to love _you_."

"That would be perfect," Remus said. "I could hang out with you during the day and her at night." Remus waggled his eyebrows in a very Sirius-like seductive way that made Sirius's face break out in one of his widest smiles. The two returned to their ceiling staring, laying an inch apart; only the hair on their arms brushing together. It was warm and different, but neither boy wanted to be the first to move away. "Except for full moons of course," Remus spoke up. "Then I'd be all yours."

"Wow, Moony," Sirius exclaimed. "One snog with me and your mind becomes corrupted."

"I'm not corrupted!"

Sirius laughed. "What would happen to your mind if we had _sex_?"

The veil of silence fell upon the two boys. Sirius took their little joking that extra step too far, and he immediately regretted it. He was Pandora. He kept opening boxes, expressing ideas that revealed way too much.

"Moony?"

"Padfoot?"

"I was joking."

Remus laughed, slightly maniacal. "I know, Pads." Remus sighed.

"Why did this happen?" Sirius asked in a moment of sober despair. "You used to be my Moony! No labels, or explanations, or questions. And-"

"Sirius," Remus said, placing his hand over Sirius's mouth to shut him up. Sirius noted that Remus's chin did that funny wiggly move, which only meant that Remus was about to give one of his famous long winded, rambling speeches. "Peter," Remus started. "Is your friend. You talk to him, but you don't _really_ talk to him. You like him, but you don't _really_ like him; get it? James is your brother. You hang out with him, you rough house with him, you cause trouble with him, you laugh with him; you two are on the same mental wave length. And then there's me, us…what am I to you? I'm your Moony, you so articulately put it. But what does that _mean_? I'm a pet? A possession? Someone to tell your secrets to, pour your heart out at? Someone who'll understand, who'll listen? Someone to hug and cuddle with?"

Sirius peeled Remus's hand off his mouth, and nodded. "That's exactly what you are Moony."

"That's not normal, Sirius," Remus exploded. Remus launched himself off of his bed, only to re-launch himself on top of Sirius. "Friends aren't like that Sirius! Brothers aren't like that. Do you know who acts like that?"

Sirius stared up at Remus with a face of pure, utter shock. "You're straddling me!"

"Couples! Couples act like that. Couples act like how we act with each other, Sirius. We're a couple. We're. A. Couple!"

Sirius bucked his hips, throwing Remus onto the floor. "Will you relax," Sirius shouted, sitting up and looking down at Remus, who was now sprawled on the floor. "You're losing it."

"That's why Lily thinks we're a couple. Because we are." Remus was white-faced like someone just announced to the Great Hall at breakfast that he was dating Sirius Black _and_ that he was werewolf.

"Moony! Who cares what sodding Evans thinks? In like eight months, Lily's gonna go off this way-" Sirius pointed his left hand towards the right. "-and we're gonna go off that way." Sirius crossed his right arm over to point at the left. "We'll never see her again! OK?"

"But what about Frank Longbottom?"

Sirius paused, and dropped his arms back down. "You know I heard he thinks I have a nice butt."

"_See_?" Remus shouted.

Sirius titled his head to the side. "Moony?" he called in his most soothing voice. Sirius patted the spot next to him. "Come here."

Remus scrambled up onto the bed like he was a child. If he was already feeling uncomfortable, (which he was), then having Sirius suddenly wrap two strong Beater arms around him, made him feel that much more shaky.

"Remus, I love you. Do you love me?"

Sirius's voice was a whisper against Remus's cheek. "Yes," Remus whispered back.

"Then that's all that matters!" Sirius started rocking Remus back and forth. Remus quickly scanned the room for the fastest escape route.

Then Sirius stared singing.

"Hush little wolfy, don't you cry. Padfoot's gonna buy you a piece of pie. And if that piece of pie's not berry. You'll destroy it when you're hairy."

"Oh God," Remus groaned.

"And-"

"Aren't I scarred enough physically?"

"Does my singing offend Mister Moony?"

Remus twisted to look at Sirius. "Everything about you does," Remus laughed.

Sirius smiled, squeezed Remus harder, and buried his face in Remus's neck; delighted that their old, strange banter had returned. "Are you my Moony again?"

Remus allowed his head to fall against Sirius's. "I hate being mushy Padfoot."

"I need confirmation, Moony," Sirius shouted, squeezing Remus harder. "I was an unwanted child, remember?"

"I wonder why," Remus smirked.

Sirius started whimpering like his Animagi form.

"I'm yours, Sirius," Remus mumbled.

Sirius made a horrible screeching sound of happiness and planted a sloppy kiss on Remus's cheek.

"Can we go to Charms now?" Remus asked.

"Sure," Sirius said, finally releasing Remus. "I could use a nap."

* * *

"Ah, look who's kissed and made up." 

Peter spat his drink out at James's choice of words, in one glorious spray.

"Oh my God and I've won _again_!" James threw his arms up in victory, laughing like a man ripe with madness.

"That's not fair," Sirius shouted, forgetting everything in the world but the Marauder's favorite game: Who can make Wormtail spit his drink out first?

"Um, by the tiny droplets of pumpkin juice which have landed on Moony's robes, I do believe that it _was_ fair."

Remus looked down his front and groaned. He just had those robes washed.

"No," Sirius argued, taking his seat across from James, and tossing a pile of napkins at Remus, who sat next to him. "The rules, that we made up, specifically state that all players must be seated, and mine and Moony's butts were clearly still in the air."

James and Sirius held a fierce stare down. James didn't want to give in, and he hated losing, but rules were rules. "Alright," James groaned. He held his hand out. "Best of three." Sirius grabbed James's outstretched hand, and the two shook on it. Peter wobbled in his seat, barely able to hide his excitement at being the pawn in Sirius's and James's game to see which one was funnier; Remus didn't partake…he was the reluctant referee.

"I don't think I want to sit here," he said, shooting Peter an apologetic smile.

"I'll throw myself in front of you, my damsel," Sirius cooed, batting his eyelashes at Remus.

Across from them, James and Peter shared a long, knowing look. "So," James began. "Are you two…" James stopped and leant over the table, beckoning Sirius and Remus to follow his example. "Dating," he finished in a whisper.

Sirius sprang back against his chair. "Did a little rat tell you a story?" Sirius asked, rolling the 'r' in rat.

"You know where my alliances lie," Peter said, nodding unnecessarily at James.

"Well? Are you?" James spoke up, looking surprisingly forlorn.

Sirius smirked. "Jealous?"

"No," James shouted. "It's just-" James sighed audibly, running his fingers madly through his hair. "I invented this!" James batted his finger between Sirius and Remus. "I invented this, and _how many times_ have I invented me dating Lily? Was I snogging her for a half an hour in the common room? I. Don't. Think. So."

"You didn't-"

"I got it," Peter shouted over Remus's protests. "What if weeeee-" Peter looked around their little area, giving each boy his best squinty conspirator look. "Invent Prongs dating Lily! Than it'll come true too."

James clasped Peter on the shoulders. "I'll never doubt you again," he said, seemingly the picture of seriousness.

"Oh, this is ridiculous," Remus growled, pinching the bridge of his nose. There was a fog, a bog, a moor even in his head. He couldn't remember, he tried, but he just couldn't remember a time in his life where things weren't just absolutely ridiculous. There must have been a few moments before he met James Potter and Sirius Black where he was a normal boy; but times like the one he found himself in now, made normalcy seem completely impossible. "James, you inventing me and Sirius dating didn't make me and Sirius start dating. Sirius and I are not even dating! And let's not even begin to touch the fact that you're using the wrong verb…"

"Can't you, Mr. Moony, just try?" James asked, all big hazel eyes and pouty lips. "For me? We'll work out the logistics of you and Sirius later; right now let's _all_ concentrate on me."

"Shall we hold hands?" Sirius asked, winking at Remus.

"I said you two later!" James closed his eyes. Peter copied him, with a rather disturbing grin plastered across his face.

"Wormtail, he said _himself_ kissing Evans." Peter grinned wider.

"You can't invent-"

Sirius slapped one of his sweaty hands over Remus's mouth. "There's no reasoning with him Moony, you know that." Remus nodded; against his will, against his better judgment, transfixed by Sirius's lips. "Just go with it." Remus nodded; leaning, against his will, against his better judgment towards Sirius.

What are you doing?" Sirius laughed, releasing Remus's mouth.

"Nothing," Remus snapped back into his chair, covering his eyes. "Inventing. Apparently," he added. He heard Sirius chuckle and peeked in between his fingers at Sirius whose eyes were clasped closed, and whose face had that same disturbing look that Peter's had.

Remus wasn't about to "invent" James snogging Lily; if some how that did work, he didn't want to be held responsible. He kept his eyes closed for one reason. And that was because he didn't want to look at how ridiculous the other three looked with their eyes shut. James had his hands up, moving his fingers around, and looking positively deranged.

What Remus did think about, of course, was the one noun that plagued his thoughts everyday from the moment he awoke.

Sirius.

Remus thought that he pretty much pin-pointed the exact moment in time where Sirius's and his friendship went from normal mates to peculiar.

Christmas. Third year. Sirius came back from holidays a wreck; mentally and physically. No one could calm him down, or approach him. One night, James tried for the ten-thousandth time to ask Sirius what happened. Sirius exploded about not wanting to talk about it, and then raging about how he was sick of answering questions, and he just wanted to be left alone, and that he hated his family, and that they hated him, and that James with his happy family would never understand, and that no one would understand. Then Remus, who did understand, walked up to Sirius and hugged him; hugged him because that's what Remus always wanted someone to do when he was upset; hugged him until Sirius was clinging to him, crying into his neck. Later that night, Sirius told Remus everything; and then Sirius always told Remus everything.

Remus didn't really understand what he and Sirius had become, but what he did know is that he was starting to become really, really sleepy.

"Ah!" all four boys shouted, springing back to life, freshly opened eyes darting everywhere.

"There will be no sleeping during meal times," McGonagall said, slapping a rolled up parchment against her hand; similar to the way she had just previously slapped it against the Marauder's section of the table.

"We weren't sleeping," James said. "We were inventing."

McGonagall looked like she was about to speak, but decided against it. She sent a quavering look at James's Head Boy badge, rolled her eyes and continued on her way.

"Do you think it worked?" Peter asked James.

"All will be revealed, my lad." James turned his goggled eyes to Sirius. "Now back to-"

"We're not dating, Prongs," Sirius said. Remus felt Sirius's hand tap him on the thigh, and even though he had no idea what that meant, he took it as Just Don't Say Anything. "Wormtail saw us, _you know_, but we were just…fixing things."

"O…K…" James said. "So, is everything fixed?"

"Yep," Sirius chirped, smiling lopsidedly at James.

James frowned. "You're not going to tell me anything, are you?"

Sirius brought a fork of food up to his mouth. "Not really."

"But I'm your best friend!"

Sirius stretched across the table, to cover James's hand with his own. "And you always will be," he said, barely keeping the laughter from his voice.

"Alright," James said. "As long as I rank ahead of Moony, I really don't care." James smiled brightly at Remus, and Sirius patted his thigh again.

Remus laughed and shook his head. Maybe they were ridiculous, but Remus found that ridiculous _was_ his normal. And he liked it that way.

* * *

"Can you pull pranks?" Sirius asked James, as the four boys walked from the Great Hall to DADA. "Head Boys don't pull pranks." Sirius elbowed Remus and smirked. 

"Head Boys don't give their best friends detention for no reason either, but there are exceptions to every ru-Oof."

James's speech was abruptly severed, as a thin body launched itself at him, wrapping its arms around his neck. The body pulled away, and James adjusted his skewed glassed. And then adjusted them again when he identified the mystery person as Lily.

"James," Lily said, a seeping blush across her cheeks.

"Lily?" James adjusted his glasses again. _No, this is real._

"James."

"Lily."

Lily swallowed hard. "James."

"Li-"

"You've established that!" Sirius shouted.

"Oh!" Lily squeaked. She sent a nervous glance at Sirius, Remus, and Peter. She swallowed again, and set her determined green eyes back on James. "James, I've been looking all over for you."

"You have?" James could not contain his glee if he tried.

"Yes. I, I want…I want to go…will you go on another date with me?" Lily sucked in her breath immediately following her question, and bit down on her lip; as if the whole world depended on James's answer.

James looked like he was going to cry. "Normally I'd probably make a joke and say like no and then tell you I was kidding, but for the first time in my life I don't want to joke."

"Well, he's lost it," Sirius whispered to Remus.

"You don't even have to ask me, Lily," James continued.

Lily rolled her eyes. "Oh the dramatics with you," she said, before throwing her arms around James again. James tipped her head up, and leant down to sweetly kiss her; mostly because he still couldn't believe he was not dreaming.

Lily backed away from James, her face more red than her hair. "We'll decide where to go on our date while we monitor tonight." With that, Lily spun around and shimmed up the hall towards the DADA classroom; the boys saw a chubby brunette girl spring from the shadows and hug Lily.

"Is that Alice?" Sirius asked. "She thinks I have a nice butt, too."

James turned to face his friends. "It worked!" he shouted. "The inventing worked. And now I have a second chance with Lily! And...I'm going to blow it somehow."

"Naturally," Sirius shrugged.

Peter stepped towards James, putting his arm around the taller boy. "We'll help you, Prongs. Don't worry." Peter began to lead James down the hall to DADA. "I can't believe it worked!"

Remus and Sirius took step behind them. Sirius slipped his arm around Remus's and pulled him closer. "Remember what I said about never seeing Lily again after we graduate?" Remus nodded; against his will, against his better judgment feeling mad that Lily had to just spring out of no where and ruin his normal life again. "Ridiculous," Sirius growled.


	16. Crazy is Better

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, events and/or places that are recognized as being written and created by J.K. Rowling. J.K. Rowling owns all the characters and places from the Harry Potter books including the ones used in this story**

A/N: Hello! I'm sorry this took over a month, but...it's the last chapter! And I wanted it be perfection! It came out to be the longest chapter in history. So. Compensate? Lol! I just want to thank EVERYONE over and over again for reading this little story. It makes me really happy! And I do have another Marauder story in the works. I just heart those boys! Thanks again!-Nikki

* * *

"You've got to be _cooool_." Sirius ran his long, bony fingers through his hair to emphasize his point of how to appear utterly fucking cool.

James pouted, watching Sirius's fingers. "I can't do that, git," he whined. "I can scratch my scalp. I can do that. Is that cool?"

"In the society of lice breeders, perhaps."

"Well, then why don't you show me how to be cool doing something that I could actually accomplish! We all know _you're_ cool, Pads. We don't need proof."

Sirius stared at James. Slowly he started shaking his head. "It's beginning."

"What's beginning?"

"The change."

James whipped around to look at the bed, and the boy, behind him. "Moony, did you bite him?"

Remus took an exaggerated look out the window, and at the obvious scene of bright blue skies and absolutely no moon. He looked back at James. "He has about thirteen hours before the fur sprouts."

"I'm done with cool lessons," James sighed flopping next to Remus on his bed. "I don't need them."

"You _don't_ need them," Remus said. "Lily asked you out. She already fancies you. You don't need to _impress her_." Remus's voice lowered to a raspy grunt as Sirius, who was pacing the bed, looking for a place to squeeze himself into, decided that jumping onto Remus's back and settling down on his spine was good enough.

"You're right, Moony," James said, tugging at a stray strand of fabric on Remus's bed spread. He couldn't help but smile. Lily asked him out. Him! Finally! After days and days, months, (years if he was willing to admit how desperate he'd been). She finally succumbed.

"Prongs," Sirius called from his spot on Remus's backbone. "You're still coming _tonight_ though, right?"

James looked back behind at Sirius riding Remus, and frowned. "Not if that's a preview."

Sirius rolled his eyes, but didn't move. "Are you?"

"I don't know," James shrugged. He laid the side of his head down on the bed to look at Remus. "Would you mind terribly, Moony? If I didn't?"

Remus's eyes were watering and he grunted something out of the corner of his mouth that wasn't muffled by mattress.

"Moony?" James asked, and was answered by another grunt.

"Look what you did!" Sirius screamed, gripping Remus's sides.

"What?" James snapped.

"He's all upset because you aren't coming tonight! Because you're choosing a skirt over your friends!"

"Wow, Sirius. What am I supposed to do? Tell Lily that I have to leave because I need to go to the Shack to visit my werewolf friend? Maybe mention that I become a stag too? Send us all to Azkaban?"

There was another, more panicky, grunt from Remus.

"Yes!" Sirius shouted. "You need to stop thinking of yourself and remembering your friends, who would never dump you for a girl; a girl, by the way, who has been a complete bitch to you since creation!"

Remus grunted again and threw his hand back, groping for Sirius.

Sirius grabbed Remus's hand, linked their fingers together, and used his other hand to rub over Remus's knuckles. "I'm here, Remus," Sirius said softly. Remus let out another panicked grunt, and tightened his grip on Sirius's hand, digging his blunt, chewed fingernails into any piece of Sirius's flesh that he could find.

Sirius melted over Remus, laying his head on Remus's shoulder. "It's OK." Sirius scowled up at James, who was leaning against the bedpost. "He's crying."

"You're sitting on his lungs, Padfoot," James commented, casually.

"Shite!" Sirius jumped off of Remus. "Why didn't you say anything, Moony?"

Remus rolled over. "My oxygen was cut off." He took a deep breath. "I tried to push you off, but you seemed to mistake that as me wanting to hold your bloody hand."

Sirius looked down, slightly embarrassed, but mostly absolutely pissed at James.

"Sirius," James said in his I'm Really Trying To Be An Adult Here voice. Sirius looked up. Remus's own eyes were locked on Sirius, measuring his every facial twitch, every blink of his eye, listening to every word; so that he could spring at Sirius to prevent a fight before Sirius even completed the thought.

"Sirius. Don't tell me that I'm only thinking of myself and that I'm forgetting my friends." Remus watched the lump under the tanned skin of Sirius's throat rise and fall; even Remus was scared at how overly calm James was acting. "Don't tell me that, because I have done so much for you, and Moony. I took you in when your family disowned you, do you remember that? I know I act strange around Lily, I can't help it! But, I would never forget you."

"You forgot me when you told Evans that I was dating Remus. What about that?"

James backed away from the bedpost with a gruff of laughter. "Oh, please. I said I was sorry. And you need to stop pretending."

Sirius rose to his knees. "Stop pretending?"

"Yeah. That you're _not_ in love with Moony, because it's getting pathetic."

Remus dove across the bed at Sirius.

"What the hell's your problem, Moony?" Sirius shouted, as he was pinned to the headboard.

"I'm stopping you from beating James up!"

"I wasn't going to!"

"I saw you raise your hand."

Sirius reached for his temple. "I had an itch."

Remus squinted his eyes at Sirius, looking right into his pupils. Sirius widened his eyes and smiled. Remus nodded and moved back form Sirius. "He's telling the truth," he said to James.

"Anyways," James said, rolling his eyes. "Like I was saying. You're in love with Moony. Get over yourself."

Sirius had the decency to not look at Remus. He shook his head so that his black hair covered the sides of his face like a hood. "We wouldn't be _having_ this conversation, if it wasn't for Evans. So forgive me if I don't like her."

James crossed his arms. "Well, you better learn to."

"I'd never let some chick disrupt my life, and my friends, just for a stupid date," Sirius said, pushing himself off of Remus's bed. Remus felt cold all of a sudden. Chilled to the bone and tired. Oh, he was just so _tired_. It was probably the moon, he thought. The full moon tonight, pulling his mind, pressing his emotions. Remus crawled across his bed, burying his face into his pillow.

"You don't _date_ chicks!" James shouted. Remus could tell by the tremors in James's voice that he wasn't just upset because Sirius was trying to get him to stiff Lily. James was upset at his best friend for being complicated; for liking everything that James liked except for the one most important thing in James's world. "When was the last date you've had?"

Sirius took too long to answer.

"See?"

"Dates are dumb, James," Sirius shouted back. "All that nonsense about getting to know the other person, and the whole time you're either interested or, more likely, thinking of someone else, thinking of how rude it would be to go to the toilet and never return."

James shook his head. "Just stop, Padfoot. You can tell me the truth! I don't care if you fancy Moony!"

"Maybe _Moony_ cares if I fancy Moony! Ever think of that?" Sirius shouted, moving inches from James face. Remus buried his head further into his pillow.

James sighed. "He's sleeping Sirius. Tell me what's going on with you two."

"Nothing!"

"Tell me!"

"Nothing! Look, I see your eyes keep dropping to your watch, so just go to Quidditch practice and forget everything that was said here."

"Not until you admit that you're a fancy mcfancypants for Remus John Lupin!"

Remus heard Sirius sigh; he heard footsteps, the _thud thud_ of Sirius's combat boots. "I don't fancy him! OK, James. I was just trying to figure out what Evans saw, but she's wrong! I don't fancy him! So stop asking me! I _hate_ him, in fact. Hate!"

"Whatever," James spat. Remus could hear James storm towards the door.

"You're a git," Sirius shouted. "I hope you fall off your broom!"

"I hope Snape finally decides to extract his revenge and you get hexed into an unrecognizable lump of stupid hair!"

Sirius gasped. "That's the last straw. Insulting my hair is the last straw." Sirius pulled the door to their mutual bath open. "Just get out."

"I'm gone."

Remus heard two doors slam. Then silence. Then two doors opening.

"Pads, you're still gonna help me pick an outfit, right?"

"I've already got a shirt in mind," Sirius said. Remus could practically hear his wide I Could Never Be Mad At You smile.

"Great," James sighed happily.

Remus heard the door to the dorm click shut. He shook his head, feeling like he was really going to drift off into a slight rocky slumber; rocky because of the approaching full moon, and the odd incessant twist in his stomach.

Just as Remus was about to slip into sleep, he heard that familiar _thud thud_, and then long, bony fingers threaded themselves through his hair.

"Moony?" Sirius whispered. Remus grunted. "I hate you." He pulled a blanket over Remus, and thud thudded his way over to his own bed.

Remus laughed. "Make up your mind," he said into his pillow.

* * *

"Do it!" 

"Padfoot." James was all sorts of seriousness. He stood in the middle of the dorm, a so called friend flanked on almost every side, topless, hair as messy as wizardly possible, surrounded by a dozen tiny piles of clothes, and he was in no mood.

"I vote do it," Sirius said, with a causal shrug.

James stuck his finger out at Sirius as a last warning. Remus was poised at the end of his bed, eyes on Sirius. He was ready to pounce again. He had to hold onto the bedpost to stop himself from just pouncing Sirius anyways because the eyes Sirius's sent him were just asking for it.

"No, Padfoot," James whined, despite his tough guy stance. Secretly he loved standing there, baring his well chiseled chest to….well, Peter was the only one looking at him. Those damn pups. "Hey," James screamed.

"Do it."

James's whole body drooped. "But it's girly."

"James," Remus finally spoke up. "I do believe more than half of our counter in the bath would agree with me when I say, you're already girly."

"Moony! Prong's needs all those products. You've seen his hair." Peter hid his face when he was done talking, mistaking James's sharp turn towards him as a prelude to a good whacking.

"What do you think, Wormtail?" James asked. Peter sat up again. "Should I do it?"

Peter's watery eyes went from Sirius's glare, to Remus's annoyed pursed lips, to James's straight face, and then down at his watch. "Well, we do have a couple hours to kill," he said. Peter's life goal was to never have to be the one to make the decision. He could just see himself siding with James and then having to witness Remus jumping Sirius because he _thought_ Sirius was going to start a fight. Better to play aloof.

James growled, and bent down to scoop up the pile of clothes closest to his feet. "Fine," he shouted, stomping into the bathroom, and slamming the door.

Sirius crawled out of his position of lying on his stomach, and sat cross-legged at the end of his bed. He threw a look at Remus, and beckoned him with a long finger.

Remus got up from his own bed, but pointed his wand at their dorm door before joining Sirius. "I'm locking it," he said. "No one needs to walk in on James's fashion show."

* * *

"First," Peter announced. "In the Marauder's collection of What Prongs Should Wear On The Night He Bags That Troll Evans-" 

"Wormtail, don't repeat Pads!" James called from behind the bath door.

"-is the chosen ensemble of one Peter "Mister Wormtail" Pettigrew."

James reluctantly tore open the bath door and walked into the dorm room.

"Swagger!" Sirius groaned. "You know, shake your tail feathers!"

"You're an awful model, Prongs," Peter laughed.

"This," James snapped, spinning around to face his three friends. "Is an awful outfit." James held his arms out, watching as Sirius and Remus knocked into each other with peals of laughter, and Peter sat in front of them with a look of total approval.

"I like it," Peter said, proudly. It was Peter's outfit that James had on. He had James in a pair of Gryffindor shorts, with bright white knee socks, a black and gold sweater vest (with nothing but his skin underneath), and a long black cape. If Peter admitted that he was either joking, going for an artsy original look, or completely daft, James would have let the whole thing slide. But, Peter seemed to actually like what he picked out. "If I was Lily, I'd like it," Peter said."

"No," Remus said, appalled. "No you wouldn't."

"Wait!" James's face lit up with the sudden spark that only an ill-fated idea, thought brilliant at the time, could achieve. "Maybe Lily'll hate his outfit so much, she'll rip it off me and then-"

"Go change."

* * *

"I smell like, _sniff sniff_, Remus." James was back in front of Sirius's bed, now with Remus's pick on. It was actually Remus's clothes that James was wearing; a tan button up Oxford, under a brown jacket (with very worn elbow patches), over brown corduroys. James new it was a No from the moment he saw it; especially since Remus's thin frame was two sizes smaller than his. 

"I can see your bits," Peter squeaked, his eyes promptly covered.

"Yep," James continued, his nose buried in the arm pit of the jacket. "Smells like old books, ink and, _sniff_, and, _sniff_, um…"

"Copper," Sirius mumbled. He smiled weakly at Remus.

"Oh," James nodded.

Remus tried to smile back at Sirius, but all he managed were rapid twitchy lip movements. Unlike James, Remus hadn't even registered the fact that Sirius knew his smell immediately; he was more embarrassed, and upset. Remus knew he had _A Smell_, everyone did. He just didn't like learning the fact that one third of his smell was the scent of blood. He didn't like learning that not even his smell escaped the wolf.

Sirius scooted closer to Remus. "It's not _bad_," Sirius whispered. Remus frowned. Sirius copied Remus's frown, but then his face rippled into a great smile and he buried his head in Remus's neck, sniffing obnoxiously loud. Remus laughed despite his uncomfortableness and shooed Sirius away. "Ahh," Sirius moaned, as if he just stuck his upturned nose into a pot of the warmest tea.

Peter rolled his eyes, and turned back to James, who had missed the whole scene because he was flexing in the mirror.

"This makes me look so buff," he squealed. "Look at my muscle-_riiipppp_."

* * *

"No! No. No. If you're going to model my outfit than put some effort in it! I would never walk like a sodding zombie tap dancer." 

"Well, I guess I'm not going to model your outfit then."

"You're no fun," Peter pouted, letting himself get into the game.

"It's just that…" James sighed. Wordlessly, he scanned the room, his hands flying everywhere. "It's just that there's no music. No ambiance."

Remus smirked. "Why didn't you say that in the first place?" With a graceful flick of his wand, Remus's wizard friendly phonograph started up; streaming an upbeat jazzy rhythm through the room.

Sirius shook his head. "That's not Bowie."

"No," Remus said. His eyes were closed, his whole body swaying to the beats. He opened one eye giving Sirius a look that made him smile with wild joy. Remus hadn't looked at him like that since last June; since before Lily's letter was found; since before they were forced to dissect their friendship.

Peter let out a crazy laugh, snapping Sirius back to reality and James, who was walking with long, swaying steps, his head held high, his hands on his hips. Sirius wolf whistled, barely making a sound from laughing so hard. James posed, and opened up the leather jacket he was wearing. Underneath he had a black tank top over black trousers.

"You're so one color sided, _Black_," James called over the music.

"I think _Next_!" Remus shouted. James nodded and flicked his wand, transfiguring himself into his next outfit.

_Flick. Flick. Flick_. James must have gone through a dozen outfits, until Sirius, Remus, and Peter all clapped loudly and cheered.

"That's it! That's what you should wear," Sirius said, turning the music off.

"You look good, but not like you're _trying_ to look good," Peter added.

"You look normal too. It's not a costume, which is what Lily probably expects you to be arriving in."

James looked himself up and down. "This is what I was wearing in the first place, you brain-dead _gits_!"

* * *

"I think I need to be reminded about manners." 

"No you don't." Remus watched James dribble soup down his front. "Let me revise that statement."

James dabbed at his dribble. "Allow me to remind you why we are here, oh wise Moony. To discuss things I should talk about with Lily."

Remus rolled his eyes in the slow way one does when their head is about to implode all over the place. That night was the full moon. He already felt it. He itched like crazy. Yet there he was. No, not resting in his bed, getting some work done. He was sitting opposite James in the Great Hall, having an inane conversation about James's date. All day James felt the need to over prepare himself, and Remus was just in no mood. Peter was plopped down rather uncomfortably at the Slytherin's table for another round of tutoring, so there was no pawning James off to him. Sirius was coming to lunch late due to his serving of a detention he earned for one of his many "misunderstandings".

"You're slipping again, mate," James said, waving a hand past Remus's eyes. Remus blinked rapidly, and swatted the offending hand away. "What are you thinking, _ahem_, excuse me, _who_ are you thinking about? And does it rhyme with fadput?"

"Tonight is a-" Remus paused to point towards the sky. "So, forgive me if I don't have it altogether today."

James nodded. He may have been in hyper-excited mode, but he wasn't going to disrespect Remus. The last thing he needed was a black eye for his date, which he would have gotten from _Sirius_ if Remus was even a little bit unhappy. Surprise, surprise. "So, what should I talk about with Lily?" James asked. Really he just wanted to get Remus talking; he still wanted answers.

"School?" Remus offered.

"School?"

"Yes. Classes. That's what _I _talk about with Lily."

James sighed. "Well, that's because you're Moony. Pretend you're me."

Remus thought. "Wanking?" He bent his head forward giggling. Giggling was a problem during the hours before a full moon. Giggling and wanting to eat human flesh.

"I can see this is not but a big joke to you, Moony."

"I'm sorry."

James laughed. "It's alright. Here! I'll make this easier."

"Ok." Remus cleared his throat and sat up straight.

James leaned over the table. His eyes were glinting behind the frames of his glasses. "What should I say to Lily…when she asks…if you…and Sirius…are _you and Sirius_?"

Remus's nostrils flared out, which was never a good sign. "You tell her that that is none of her business. And that she needs to not listen to insanely blinded by love _idiots_ passing notes to her in study hall."

"But are you?" James was leaning so far across the table that his chest was practically in his soup

"Are I…?"

"With Sirius?"

"Not at the moment."

"Metaphorically."

"You should use that word with Lily. Lily loves men who use big words."

"But are…does she?" James made a mental note to speed read a dictionary before his date.

"And you should talk about what you want to do after you graduate. Ambitions. You might want to mention having a family." Remus watched as James's face went from dead curiosity to dead serious.

"Wanna have babies. I can say that."

"But, and this is the most important thing you can do." James pretended to clean his ears out, and leaned forward some more. "Ask her questions. If she brings up a topic, don't launch into a story about yourself. Ask her questions about her story. Show her you were paying attention. And not just staring at her mouth move."

"Pay attention." James groaned, slamming his back against his chair. "This is harder than NEWTS, Remus! You can't expect me to remember all that."

Remus gave James his best soft smile where his head flopped to the right. "You'll be fine, James."

James nodded. "If I get into a bind, I'll just say to myself: What Would Moony Do?" Remus laughed. "But, you know what's more important…._Who_ Would Moony Do? Go on. Best friends everywhere need to know." James held a fake microphone up to Remus.

Remus pretended to tap the microphone; he leaned forward to speak into it. "Sod off."

"Please just tell me!"

"Nothing's going on! Sirius already told you."

James pursed his lips, thoroughly unconvinced. "If nothing's going on then why are you saving food for him?"

To Remus's left was an empty chair, but a plate stacked high with a practical buffet of food. "You know how he gets when he doesn't eat lunch," Remus explained.

James growled, but nodded. Sirius was a weird bloke as it was, but on an empty stomach? He was certifiable. "I just don't understand why you won't just tell me! Just me!"

Remus almost screamed at James. He was sick of talking about things that weren't logical, that didn't have answers. For any lunch to have a conversation about how Pumpkin Juice really didn't flatter any of the meals they consumed, or something equally dull, this would have been the perfect lunch. Remus, for once in his life, was all for taking in stiff monotone grunts for the rest of the day.

"Why do you want to know so badly?" Remus asked James.

"Because you're my best friends."

"But," Remus looked around, making sure everyone else was submerged in their own mundane conversations. "But, aren't you weirded out by this? Aren't you mad, Prongs? Not only are we your best friends, we're two _blokes_. We share a dorm room with you. Why aren't you pitching a fit!"

James looked taken back. "I _am_ weirded out, Moony," James started in a slow pace. "I _am_ mad. And uncomfortable. And…but, why say anything? Why cause a giant riff between us all, and you know it would happen."

Remus, for one incredulous moment, was stunned speechless. "So," he started slowly. If his brain wasn't so fogged with pre-_moon_strual symptoms, then he probably would have processed his thoughts in his usual speedy manner. Alas. "What you are basically saying….is that you're too lazy to be bigoted."

"Yes." James nodded. "Too much effort."

"But-"

"I only have three best friends," James continued. His voice evened out, became lower. He was being serious. For once, Remus was going to have a serious conversation with James that didn't involve answers to essay questions. He was rather excited. "I have three best friends, and no matter how weird it makes me feel, no matter how hard it is for me to understand, if I stopped talking to you and Sirius because you may or may not, or _may_ be in love with each other, then I'm down to one best friend and that sucks. That's horrible. Especially since that one friend isn't you or Sirius."

That could have possibly been the nicest thing James had ever sad to him. So he swallowed and prepared to answer him honestly. "Sirius and I aren't dating."

"You don't-"

"We aren't. We kissed. We liked it. But, we're just…we're just _being_. I mean, you know Sirius. How many phases has he been through?"

"Well, there was that month where he refused to wear pants." James shuddered. "But, Moony. You're not a phase. You can shake your head all you want."

Remus shook his head purposely with more vigor. "You just have to always be right."

"That and…well you probably have no idea, right? But, _I_ see everything. _Prongs_ sees everything. With the way you two act on a full moon; I just shouldn't be _that_ surprised, come to think of it." James smirked at Remus's wide-eyed look of avid confusion. "And, wait a minute, Sirius is aware of everything too….that just makes the whole situation less innocent, actually. It's almost down right obscene of him."

"What. Are. You. Talking. About?" Remus asked in horror rippled whispers.

James rolled his eyes lazily. "Oh, come on, Moony. What do you think I'm talking about?"

"Oh, Merlin!" Remus gasped, suddenly feeling sick. Sick, and disturbingly intrigued.

"Hey!"

James's eyes sprang to Sirius, who had just plopped himself down next to Remus. "Hey, Pads! How was detention?"

"What you'd do to Moony? He's pale!" Sirius gently shook Remus's shoulders. "Moony? Moony, are you OK?"

Remus finally realized Sirius was touching him. He squeaked and pulled away. "I can't believe you!"

Sirius looked like someone just took his lollipop away. "What I'd do?"

"You! You. You-" Remus leaned closer to Sirius. "-_raped__me_!" he finished in a whisper.

"I what? When?" Sirius allowed himself two seconds to remember if he did or not, then his thoughts were rudely erupted by low rumbles of badly concealed laughter. "James!"

"Moony was making me be all serious," James exploded. "I had to break the spell some how."

Remus's finger hooked around Sirius wrinkled chin and pulled his face to the side, locking their eyes together. "So you didn't have sex with Moony as Padfoot?"

Sirius gaped, that was the only word for the face he was making. "Moony! I would never do that. I mean we romp around, but doggy style-I mean! You know the way dogs do. Merlin. You know what I mean. Padfoot's never had sex with Moony."

Remus squinted his eyes at Sirius, looking right into his pupils. Sirius widened his eyes and smiled. Remus nodded and moved back. "_He's_ telling the truth," he said to James.

"You know," James said. "We have no proof that you staring into Sirius's eyes competes with a lie detector."

Remus and Sirius shrugged in unison.

"_Ahem_, James?"

James spun around. "Hey, Ev-Lily."

Lily smiled, turning her eyes onto James's companions. "Remus. Black."

"Lily."

"She-devil." Sirius smiled brightly up at Lily.

Lily glared at him, but being the adult she ultimately pretended to be, she ignored him. "James meet me in the front hall, in about two hours?"

"OK!" James practically squealed. Lily smiled in an amused way that Remus noted would probably be the way she was going to always smile after that day.

"You sure both Heads could leave the grounds? I hate for anything illegal to happen without you swooping in to stop it. How will Hogwarts survive?"

"Are you done?" James asked.

"Pretty much." Sirius picked himself up from his position of fake fainting onto Remus.

"Good. Because I gotta dash. Only two hours to make myself pretty, after all."

"He's going to prep more than Evans," Sirius whispered mortified, eyeing James's form sprinting from the Great Hall. "All she has to do is retract her nails and pull the stick from her ass."

"Sirius," Remus scolded. But he smiled, and even laughed.

"Aw, there's my Moony being normal and getting jokes." Sirius made as much noise as he could moving his chair closer to Remus's. "Did Prongs question you?"

Remus nodded. "I told him I was just one of your phases." Remus refused to look at Sirius. It wasn't hard given the fact that any movement made him wince in slight pain.

"Like the time I would only eat things covered in chocolate?"

"Or the time you wouldn't wear pants."

"Who said _that_ one ended?" Sirius winked, shaking his hips in his chair rather erotically. "Did Prongs buy it?"

Remus shook the disgustion from his features. "No," he answered.

Sirius mouthed an 'oh'. "Obviously he seemed OK with it all. I'd almost go on and say _accepting_…?"

"He's just lazy, but….he-" _He doesn't have anything _to_ accept_, Remus wanted to finish. There's no reason to accept something that's not there. Remus just dropped his sentence. He didn't know what else to say, and now even his vocal chords were tired. He was hitting pre-moonstrual cycle 3: The Sleepy-Head.

Remus yawned.

"Moony," Sirius called in a whisper. His voice was shaky. He was flexing and curling his fingers across the top of the table. "If, if you're just a phase…then it's always a full moon."

Remus's head never moved faster, and he grinned up at Sirius like an idiot. Sirius's face burst like the sun. And he wanted to kiss Remus. Right there, in the Great Hall, in front of the staff, the students, the potatoes. Instead he leaned in real close, and pinched Remus's nose.

"You're crazy," Remus said. He was crazy too. Crazy because five months ago, hell, five _days_ ago, he was rather uncomfortable with the whole situation. Crazy because in that moment he couldn't remember why he ever was.

Sirius snorted. "I'm _Sirius_."

"That joke is officially stale." Remus closed his eyes, chin lolling against his chest.

"And you, Mister Moony, officially need to get your blood pumping." Sirius swung his legs off the bench, and grabbed Remus's arm. "Let's go watch Prongs put his face on."

* * *

"Well, lads, today, _oomph_, damn it!" James quickly launched back to his feet. 

"You totally deserved that," Sirius cackled. He kicked aside the villainous piece of parchment that sent James skidding to the floor.

James pouted, smoothing his clothes down. "How do I look?"

"Ravishing."

"Thank you, Padfoot, my kind gentle friend."

The four of them waited in the front hallway where James was too meet Lily. Sirius really, _really_, wanted to follow James under the cloak and keep an eye on him; or make his date more "interesting" for him. He thought maybe he could make Lily's top fall off; but, it was a full moon, and he wasn't going to miss that; and he wouldn't really want to ruin his best friend's life. In a small part of Sirius's brain, he was happy for James.

"I'll try to make it back before curfew," James said to Remus.

Remus shook his head. "Don't you dare cut your date short for me. Have fun. Padfoot will be there, anyways."

"It makes me feel safe to know that you'll be keeping your eye on him Moony." James pointed an accusing finger at Sirius. "I put a lock on my cloak."

"I wouldn-"

"Here she comes," James squeaked. "Go, go. See you later. Wish me luck!" Peter bolted to one end of the hall, squealing a 'good luck' over his shoulder. Sirius pulled Remus behind a suit of armor.

They watched Lily hug James, and James take Lily's hand, and the two walk out the door with the rest of the Hogsmeade wanders.

"Look at our Prongs all grown up," Sirius said, fondly, stepping out from their makeshift hiding spot.

Remus came to stand next to him, watching all the other couples leave the school with quick kisses or firmly grasped hands. Remus finally had enough. "Sirius, you _are_ crazy! I just can't believe you don't want someone like Lily!" Remus blurted out. "You always have to be different, don't you? You thrive on doing everything your family stands for backwards." Remus was laughing now. He pointed wildly at the leaving boys and girls. "Don't you want that?"

Sirius straightened his back, stepped closer to Remus, and threaded their hands together. "Moony, you might think I'm crazy…" He squeezed Remus's hand, and started to lead him back up to the dorms.

Remus pinched Sirius's nose. He didn't like normal people anyways.


	17. author's note

Hey everyone! This is not an update per say because it's really a notice _about _an update. In other words: I'm writing a sequel to this. It's called Bump. And you can find it in my profile. I don't know if anyone cares, but to those that do, be my guest and read it. If you want. No pressure :D -Nikki


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